The worst part about owning a hedgehog might seem to be be getting poked by its porcupine-like quills.
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the mammals are linked to something far sinister: salmonella.
Eleven people across eight states have been infected with a strain of salmonella linked to hedgehog droppings as of Friday, with one person hospitalized. Ten of the 11 people reported having been in contact with a hedgehog, although a common supplier has not been identified in the multistate outbreak. Missouri leads the list with three outbreaks reported, followed by two in Minnesota and one each in Colorado, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Texas, and Wyoming. No deaths have been reported.
“Don’t kiss or snuggle hedgehogs,” CDC recommends in an investigation notice posted to its site, adding that the spiked creatures should not be allowed to “roam freely in areas where food is prepared or stored, such as kitchens.” Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps which can last four to seven days. Death, while a possibility, is rare. The CDC recommends washing hands diligently after any contact with a hedgehog or its habitat.
While hedgehogs, or “hedgies,” are quickly becoming popular household pets, owning them is still not legal everywhere in the country — with bans in California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. They were only made legal in Fairfax County, Va., on Tuesday.
The exotic animals have been made popular by cartoon and video game franchises such as Sonic The Hedgehog and are even social media stars, like Mr. Pokee the Hedgehog, who has a following of 1.2 million on Instagram.
