Several people hospitalized in salmonella outbreak linked to geckos

A public notice has been issued about another salmonella outbreak across Canada.

This one has been linked to geckos.

Last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) warned of an outbreak linked to snakes and rodents.

The latest outbreak has spread to seven provinces, including British Columbia.

Unlike the snake and rodent outbreak, which has already proved fatal, the gecko-related outbreak has not claimed any lives.

There have been five hospitalizations, however.

Of the 35 confirmed cases, two were BC. The most, 18, were in Ontario.

PHAC said people became ill with salmonella between March 2020 and January 2024.

Two-thirds of the people who have fallen ill are women or girls.

“Based on investigation findings to date, exposure to geckos has been identified as a likely source of the outbreak,” PHAC explained.

It added: “To prevent illness, individuals are advised to practice good hand hygiene, frequent handwashing and safe handling of geckos and their environments.”

PHAC also said there has been an increase in reports of salmonella illnesses across Canada, prompting a “collaborative outbreak investigation” beginning this month.

“Using a laboratory method called whole genome sequencing, it was determined that some salmonella illnesses dating back to 2020 were caused by the same outbreak strain as the illnesses that occurred in 2024,” the agency said in its notice.

Symptoms of salmonella may include:

• fever

• chills

• nausea

• vomiting

• diarrhea

• headache

• abdominal cramps

People who are infected with salmonella bacteria can spread salmonella to other people several days to several weeks after they have become infected, even if they don't have symptoms.

Salmonella can spread by person to person contact and contaminated surfaces.

PHAC said: “Most people who become ill from a Salmonella infection will recover fully after a few days without treatment, but it can also cause severe illness and hospitalization.”