Can humans give viruses to chams?

[TiKiMan]

I know this is a probably a extremely dumb question though l couldn’t find an answer anywhere. I have a pretty bad virus, I don’t know exactly what it is but it’s not good. Case and point, I was feeding TiKi and she decided to crawl on my hand I don’t know if I can get her sick but I just wanna make sure so I know...

 

[GoodKarma19]

Almost all microorganisms are species specific - I wouldn't be worried at all! It's much more likely for our reptiles to give us something (I.e. salmonella) than visa versa.

Good hand hygiene is the best preventative, in any case!

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Can chameleons get rabies is a question I'd like to know? Seeing that the rabies virus is not species specific. Your cat or dog are vaccinated for this for good reason but it can be passed by other multiple species. Granted our chameleons are usually in no risk to catch such a virus but would still be interesting to know....

 

[Lennoncham]

Can chameleons get rabies is a question I'd like to know? Seeing that the rabies virus is not species specific. Your cat or dog are vaccinated for this for good reason but it can be passed by other multiple species. Granted our chameleons are usually in no risk to catch such a virus but would still be interesting to know....

Only mammals can get rabies. https://www.avma.org/public/Health/Pages/rabies.aspx

 

[JoXie411]

Only mammals can get rabies. https://www.avma.org/public/Health/Pages/rabies.aspx

Good think I’m part lizard

 

[kinyonga]

There's almost no chance of viruses that can live in humans being able to live in reptiles due to thermoregulatory difference between humans and reptiles.

 

[MissSkittles]

Oh man! Just thinking about a rabid veiled chameleon is the stuff of nightmares! Quick! Call Stephen King!

 

[kinyonga]

When my Parson's chameleon had CANV (and it hadn't been discovered yet) the first thing it came back as being was trichophyton (ring worm) which is something that humans/mammals get and we'd all been handling him. I wondered if we were all going to end up with it. (We all thought that the mark on his knee was a scab due to him rubbing his knee on something and since it was the only mark on him, we hadn't worried about handling him.) When they said it wasn't ring worm I was so glad that I didn't have to worry about getting it...but worried if what he had could still be contagious to humans...of course.

 

[kinyonga]

Forgot to mention...bacteria are more likely to be able to be transmitted from your chameleon to you...ones such as pseudomonas aeruginosa (one of the most often found in chameleons) or Klebsiella.

BTW if you want to learn more try Looking under "zoonoses chameleons".

 

[JackRipper]

Keep that lizard out'ya mouth and vise versa and you should be fine.. if I start seeing post of these hybrids for sale we're gonna have a real problem.

 

[Mawtyplant]

yes and no I think some species of bacteria like aeruginosa can be pass from human to reptiles (vice versa) but its usually a part of bacterial flora of the reptile with no danger. danger will pop only if poor husbandry or immuntary problem co-exist
but.. if you have a flu I believe its impossible to pass it to him

but.. in the other hand, if your sick and you sneeze, you might carry some bacteria from your nose to your hand to your Cham.. better be safe than sorry, wash your hand before handling or feeding him (don't think there reaaaal danger tho..

 

[Kam0408]

Well we know what the virus is now..