TABLE 2. Bearded dragon reported in household, by age group and reported contact type, during Salmonella Cotham investigation — United States, 2024.
| Age group, yrs | No. (%) | Bearded dragon in household |
Contact type among persons with bearded dragon in household* |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Unknown | Yes | Direct† | Indirect§ | Unknown¶ | ||
| <1 |
13 (50) |
6 |
— |
7** |
— |
6 |
1 |
| 1–4 |
4 (15) |
— |
— |
4 |
— |
3 |
1 |
| 5–18 |
4 (15) |
— |
— |
4 |
1 |
3 |
— |
| 19–39 |
2 (8) |
— |
1 |
1 |
1 |
— |
— |
| 40–64 |
2 (8) |
1 |
— |
1 |
1 |
— |
— |
| 65–67 |
1(4) |
— |
— |
1 |
1 |
— |
— |
| Total | 26 (100) | 7 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 2 |
* Contact type for the 18 instances of known reptile exposure refers to how the reptile exposure occurred: direct, indirect, or unknown type, ascertained by information shared by the patient or proxy (i.e., parent or caregiver) during the initial public health interview or responses to the supplemental reptile exposure questionnaire.
† Direct contact refers to exposure to the saliva, blood, urine, mucous, feces, or other body fluids of an infected animal that occurs when people pet, touch, or hold an animal, feed an animal by hand, or are licked, scratched, or bitten by an animal.
§ Indirect contact is defined as exposure to areas where animals live and roam, or contaminated objects or surfaces, and not the animal itself. Indirect contact might also include contact with another person (e.g., a parent or caregiver) who has contaminated hands or clothing.
¶ The parents of two patients aged <1 year reported having a bearded dragon in the household during the initial interview but were lost to follow-up for reinterview with the supplemental reptile exposure questionnaire, and no additional information was available to determine if the patients had direct or indirect contact.
** The parent of one patient aged <1 year reported their infant was in a household with a lizard of unknown species.