A question

[Ripkabird98]

Idk that I would go that far. Hand washing definitely won't hurt anything. I would just wash my hands after handling them the same that you would do if you touched raw meat or went to the bathroom. Better to be safe than sorry. Salmonella is present pretty much everywhere but I have a friend who gave it to his daughters after not washing his hands and handling their iguana. Infants and the elderly are more susceptible to any kind of infection. Hand washing is key, don't soak the reptile in the bath tub where the baby washes and if you do make sure to clean it thoroughly don't use the same towels, sponges or wash rags on the baby that you have used on the tegu or it's enclosure and you should be just fine.

Then the babies probably weren't healthy. I'm not saying neglected, I'm saying maybe they had a Cold, maybe they had a lower electrolye count. Things that have nothing to do with the parents. Actually hand washing DOES hurt A LOT. It kills YOUR immune system, becasue when you don't get sick, your body cuts down on white blood cells, and you don't get Anti-Bodies. So when you do get sick, you end up in the hospital. The whole "better safe than sorry" is completely invalid. Bottom line: We have an immune system MADE to keep us FROM getting sick.

[Gnatilie]

That's the problem with today's society. We act just like the whole "wash hands, wash hands". I have an Auti-Immune diesase, so I have no immune system. I don't wash my hands after reptile interactions, and will then eat a hamburger and fries, after feeding them, bathing them, and playing with them. I havn't been sick in over 4 years. The whole point is when exposed from a young age, we should be fine. They human body is made to survive, not be cleansed with anti-microbiaol soap.

i am not saying that you should over do it but i think that hand washing helps in preventing the spread of disease, you might be immune to salmonella having built a tolerance but a newborn doesn't have that immunity... so hand washing before touching the infant after touching the tegu is a good idea. salmonella or any other infection may just make us sick and we get over it, an infant is different salmonella can lead to death in infants due to dehydration and the like. so I would rather tell someone to be safe and keep contact between reptiles and babies to a minimum let them get older and then introduce whatever you choose

[Gnatilie]

Then the babies probably weren't healthy. I'm not saying neglected, I'm saying maybe they had a Cold, maybe they had a lower electrolye count. Things that have nothing to do with the parents. Actually hand washing DOES hurt A LOT. It kills YOUR immune system, becasue when you don't get sick, your body cuts down on white blood cells, and you don't get Anti-Bodies. So when you do get sick, you end up in the hospital. The whole "better safe than sorry" is completely invalid. Bottom line: We have an immune system MADE to keep us FROM getting sick.

I am all for we have an immune system let yourself fend things off and all that but an infant doesn't have the developed immune system we have as adults. Your attitude with the whole thing is a bit pompous. The girls were healthy and normal babies. Nothing was wrong with them until the got salmonella and ended up in the hospital. I received MRSA in the hospital due to improper hand washing and almost died from it as I had the infection in my blood stream. Someone didn't wash properly and then delivered my child and I almost died so you are incorrect in thinking hand washing is a detriment, it could have saved me a surgery and a lot of time in the hospital. Antibiotic overuse diminishes the immune system and hand sanitizer also diminishes your ability to fight infection. Soap and water do not. Your body will produce the amount of antibodies it needs to fight infection. Our immune system does not KEEP us from getting sick it attacks illness once introduced into our system and kills whatever the cause is whether that be bacterial, viral or fungal. I am a certified nursing assistant and have taken classes toward my degree in nursing. I have never in all my years working in the health field heard of hand washing being a detriment to health and the ability to fight infection. The way we get "super bugs" is when people take antibiotics and once they feel better stop taking them allowing mutations in the different illnesses creating bacteria that is immune to certain antibiotics. Back to the safety of the child, please I beg of you wash your hands. You do not want to risk infecting your child with something from your pets whether that be coccidia, salmonella, toxoplasmosis,e. coli, giardia or the like. Like I have stated their immune systems are not as developed as ours and wont be for some time so take precautions and do your research in preventing the spread of disease and you will be ok. Everyone does things different but from a healthcare standpoint I suggest hand washing despite what other misinformed people may think.

[Ripkabird98]

OK.

Then let me SHOW you some of the studies and information. And may I ask what kind of healthcare you are in? (This is not a jab, my mom works in healthcare, so I was just curious actually)

"It is estimated that we have between 3 to 5 pounds of bacteria in our digestive system. Even our skin is coated constantly with bacteria no matter how hard we try to get them off.
Most people don’t realize that destroying bacteria by handwashing and frequent showering only makes way for more bacteria to live where the others have died. This paves the way for illness and infection.

Regular soap, even without the drying effects of antibacterials, have been shown to cause a reduction in the thickness of the outer layer of the epidermis by 40% as well as causing a breakdown in the lipid layer of the skin.

This effect is a probable factor in the large rise of Eczema in past years, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield Medical School."


That is just one. I will wash my hands, but only after certain things. I DO wash my hands- I'm just saying that Salmonella isn't something you should be worried about. I'm very sorry that MRSA did what it did to you. I completely agree with washing hands when in a Hospital setting, and using the restroom. I was JUST talking about the Reptile thing though. I think through a series of miscommunications it was blown slightly out of proportion. I agree with washing hands- just not as often as people do/think they shuold. I was ONLY referencing the lack of danger from Reptiles.

[Calypso]

Im so sorry, thats absolutly disgusting. i dont mean to be rude, but thats not only germs problems. Thats just personal hygene problems.

[Ripkabird98]

Im so sorry, thats absolutly disgusting. i dont mean to be rude, but thats not only germs problems. Thats just personal hygene problems.

Uh. Thank you?

Your entitled to your opinion. Why would you want a pet that you always wash your hands with? And they aren't even that dirty or germy. I don't value your opinion, but I respect it. I am actually very good in my person HYGIENE. This has nothing to do with that.

[tjohnson722]

Not washing every 5 seconds does help your immune system. When I'm sick I never ever take meds for it unless absolute necessary, never take Tylenol, etc. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been sick in the past 10 years, and I work at a JAIL with all kinds of sick people everyday. I'm not saying lower your hygeine, but yourself washing every 5 seconds and putting antibacterial sanitizing crap on every 2 isn't helping.

For the MRSA during birth, I'm wondering if that wasn't due to improper glove wearing procedures as well as non hand washing. . Gloves are there for a reason, and that's the reason. Either way, we deal with it all the time too at work.

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[Ripkabird98]

Not washing every 5 seconds does help your immune system. When I'm sick I never ever take meds for it unless absolute necessary, never take Tylenol, etc. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been sick in the past 10 years, and I work at a JAIL with all kinds of sick people everyday. I'm not saying lower your hygeine, but yourself washing every 5 seconds and putting antibacterial sanitizing crap on every 2 isn't helping.

For the MRSA during birth, I'm wondering if that wasn't due to improper glove wearing procedures as well as non hand washing. . Gloves are there for a reason, and that's the reason. Either way, we deal with it all the time too at work.

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THANK YOU!

It's proven science that tossing alcohol on your hands kills everything- even the germs that keep you healthy. If you don't use it like most people do, then those bacteria stay. And can fight off pretty much anything that comes across your path. Like I said, I'm 15 and in the "high risk for disease since I'm young" and have a Chronic Auto Immune Nerve Disease that kills all my immune system so supposedly I should be sick all the time. And I haven't been sick in over 4 years. Are reptiles downright sparkly clean? No. But they aren't so dirty that you should get sick from not washing your hands. People get sick because they WASH HANDS TOO MUCH which means that they HAVE NO IMMUNE SYSTEM.

[Calypso]

I'm not saying that I wash my hands after every interaction but defiantly if I plan to eat or touch my face after because I don't exactly want every thing my lizard has touched or anything in my mouth. I mean you can do whatever you want with your body but a new born baby? I'd rather be safe than sorry. But I guess that's just me.

[Ripkabird98]

I'm not saying that I wash my hands after every interaction but defiantly if I plan to eat or touch my face after because I don't exactly want every thing my lizard has touched or anything in my mouth. I mean you can do whatever you want with your body but a new born baby? I'd rather be safe than sorry. But I guess that's just me.

Well, I would want my newborn baby to actually HAVE an immune system so that in the LONG RUN he/she stays healthier.