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Salmonella
Salmonella: There are approximately 200 different serotypes of Salmonella species.
Salmonellosis can be caught from poultry and raw eggs and more generally from food that has been cooked or frozen. It can also be transmitted by handling reptiles, and birds which commonly host the Salmonella bacteria.
Most animals including hamsters are susceptible to salmonella infection. This bacterial disease occurs most frequently in stressed individuals. Many infections are sub clinical. Common clinical symptoms in all species include diarrhea (wettail). Infections can progress to dehydration, weakness, lethargy, and sometimes, especially in the very young or very old hamster, death.
It is a less commonly know fact that animal derived pet treats are often contaminated with the salmonella bacteria, and the cooking and dehydration process used to make pet treats might not be effective at eliminating this potentially deadly bacteria.
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