Disease Carriers

[ColumbineCritter]

What types of diseases are chameleons able to carry?
Do they have anything like HIV?Africa is origin of this disease?
You could only imagine what could bloom in their ecosphere.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Do you mean are there diseases that chameleons carry that are transmitable to humans and visa versa?

honestly I dont know about diseases, but they can get pinworms and so can people.

 

[desultadox]

I highly doubt they're able to contract Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

 

[ColumbineCritter]

Do you mean are there diseases that chameleons carry that are transmitable to humans and visa versa?

honestly I dont know about diseases, but they can get pinworms and so can people.

If you were aggressivly bit by a chameleon and there was a blood
crossing.Could a human be infected with a virus.Is is possible for a
chameleon to carry HIV?AIDS Virus

 

[desultadox]

Ummm...

 

[Zen Reptiles]

LLLOOOLLL

What a hilarious question.

The way you phrase your question, the answer would be:

'If you got bit by anything with HIV blood in its teeth, you'd get it, but only if it's fresh.'

HIV won't survive in the mouth of a chameleon too long, especially if the chameleon opens its mouth while basking. It's a primate disease. We got it from monkeys in 1940, it spread to America in 1980, it wasn't even able to be tested for until 1985. It's not a very infectious disease at all, actually. It's just the rough 'intercourse' (read: rape), they have in Africa creates lesions which causes the transmission of blood, causing AIDS. If a man had normal intercourse with a woman who had AIDS, his likelihood of contracting AIDS is roughly 1% (no blood involved).

Rape and needle sharing is the main cause of the transmission of AIDS.

I think your concern would be if some chameleon farmer with AIDS in Tanzania got bit by your chameleon while being stuffed into a package to be shipped, would the virus survive long enough to be transmitted to you?

Open air the HIV/AIDS Virus last about 30 seconds to 1 minute, in a wet media like blood or other liquid that is exposed to air it will live for about 2-5 minutes, in perfect lab conditions the virus will live for about 20-40 minutes.

Hepatitis B can live up to 2 weeks outside the body, and other Hepatitis viruses can live some time as well (just google it)

It's very, very unlikely of getting anything from a chameleon...

 

[PardalisGirl]

Don't worry so much....

You could get pinworms, Salmonella and Giardia. There may be other things. But not viruses. Not HIV or Maleria (another big disease over there. Proper hand washing is the thing to do.

Most chameleon parasites can be passed to dogs and cats. So make sure your cham is parasite free if you want to free range and don't let your dog or cat sniff chameleon cage stuff. They get the eggs on their noses and then lick their nose and ingest the eggs.

If you get scratched or bitten by your cham you need to disinfect the wound. Bacteria from the cham's mouth can cause an infection.

 

[Sang]

salmonella being the most likely of them to affect humans. *In my openinion*

 

[dodolah]

HIV in reptile? never heard of it.

but here is an interesting read:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=154656

If you are pregnant/ have babies in the house, you probably need a break from environment with chameleon.. If not, exercise proper cleanliness in the house.

 

[kinyonga]

PardalisGirl...what parasites are transmitted to dogs and cats from reptiles?

http://www.exoticpetsvet.com/reptilemedical.html
"Most reptilian protozoans are host-specific, and due to the lowered body temperature of these animals, the transmission to humans is unlikely."

"The risk of contracting a disease from a reptile or amphibian is generally small, as long as owners practice good hygiene"...."Occasionally, reptiles can transmit fungal infections or viruses to humans."
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/reptile/zoonoses.html
Campylobacter, tuberculosis and pentastomid worms can be transferred to humans. One fungus that has been transferred to at least one (immune system compromised) human is nannizziopsis vriesii.

Pseudomonas, proteus, aeromonas and a few other bacteria can live in people and chameleons.

Generally, good hygiene will prevent or limit transfer of many zoonoses..as was already mentioned above....don't use the kitchen sink for cleanups, etc.

 

[kenya]

...what parasites are transmitted to dogs and cats from reptiles?

Pinworms, roundworms, giardia, coccidia and salmonella to name a few. (and I know salmonella isn't really a parasite, but it is included)

 

[PardalisGirl]

worms....

Kinyonga....think worms....roundworms, pinworms.....Dogs and cats get them outside when they sniff and then ingest material that the eggs were deposited in. Dog, cat, racoon, fox, feces.....It is possible for the same thing to happen if they get access to cham poop or something the cham just rubbed their vent on. Panacur was used on dogs and cats before it was ever used on chameleons. Giardia is also something chameleons, dogs, cats and people get. It's transmitted normally by water. It needs to stay moist. People get it drinking from streams. We adopted a cat living in our yard who got it drinking from my pond or from my bird baths. Chams get it from drinking water where ever they are drinking it from I guess. If your dog or cat comes into contact with frequently misted material from a cage with a cham that has Giardia, it could be possible to get it. Is it likely? Probably not. I think the roundworm transfer is much more likely.

 

[kinyonga]

Most parasites are species specific. This does not mean that hygiene is not important since there are things that can still happen. Its still very important.

Some parasites can still cause problems when they get into a host that they don't belong in. For instance hookworms that get into a host that they don't belong in can roam around under the skin instead of ending up where they would in the proper host.

 

[Hilikus311]

If you were aggressivly bit by a chameleon and there was a blood
crossing.Could a human be infected with a virus.Is is possible for a
chameleon to carry HIV?AIDS Virus

Um NO! it's like asking if a mosquito bites a person w/ HIV/AIDS will it pass it on if your bit by the same mosquito after. Its a one way deal and a chameleon would have to bite a person w/ aids first then imediatly bite you w/in an hour before the virus dies in its mouth. THis MIGHT be and when i say might i mean prolly WON"T happen, and even if he did bite an infected person they cannot carry the virus because it is akin to that of the Avian Bird Flu epidemic that struck southeast chinese poultry industry, the virus had to do a significant mutation in order to reak havock on the human population and this still hasn't happend yet. so don't worry about your concern.