Another issue after salmonella outbreak, CDC advises: ‘Don’t kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon’
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (WKBT) — The Menomonee Falls Police Department is asking the public to help find two men who stole a bearded dragon lizard from a Pet World store.
Surveillance video at Pet World shows suspects in bearded dragon theft. (Menomonee Falls Police Department)
The theft occurred on April 9, when the pair slinked out of the store with the lizard without paying.
“The suspects left the store in an unknown direction,” according to a news release from the police department, which asked that anyone who has information about the theft to call Officer Kaiser at (262) 532-8700 regarding case #22-009630.
To make an anonymous tip, contact Waukesha County Crime Stoppers at (888) 441-5505, through the website or through the new P3 phone app that can be downloaded through either the App Store or Google Play.
As an aside, it’s worth noting that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a notice in January that linked a salmonella outbreak in Wisconsin and 24 other states to pet bearded dragons.
Nearly 50 people, including four in Wisconsin, had been infected, the CDC said.
Two-thirds of 33 people interviewed said they owned or touched a bearded dragon lizard or its supplies. They got their bearded dragons from various places, including pet stores and online, according to the CDC.
“Bearded dragons can carry salmonella germs in their droppings even if they look healthy and clean,” the CDC advised. “These germs can easily spread to their bodies and anything in the area where they live and roam.”
Bearded dragons are not recommended for children under 5 and adults 65 and over, along with people with weakened immune systems, according to health officials.
Among the safety tips the CDC offered in the notice: “Don’t kiss or snuggle your bearded dragon, and don’t eat or drink around it. This can spread salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick.”
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