Water Frogs, Aquariums, and Salmonella -- Oh My!

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Water Frogs, Aquariums, and Salmonella -- Oh My!

[Announcer] This podcast is brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC - safer, healthier people.

[Karmen] Hi kids! Welcome to CDC Kidtastics Radio! I'm Karmen Kidtastic. Today, we're going to talk about aquariums and that icky germ we've told you about before - Salmonella.

[Kids] Eeewww!!!

[Karmen] To help us out, we have a couple of guests: my mom, Kathy Kidtastic, (Kids: Yay!!!) and Dr. Sally Jones, a veterinarian or animal doctor whose patients include animals like lizards, turtles, frogs, and iguanas.

[Clapping]

[Dr. Jones] Hi. Thanks for having me.

[Mom] Yes, thanks. It's great to see all of Karmen's friends again.

[Karmen] Dr. Jones, I heard that kids are getting sick because of something in their aquariums. Tell us more about that.

[Dr. Jones] Sure Karmen. But, first I have a question. How many of you have an aquarium or fish tank at home or at school?

[Karmen] I do!

[Cayden] I do, too!

[Chris] We have one in our classroom!

[Dr. Jones] Wow! What do you have in your aquariums?

[Chris] We have fish and tiny, little rocks.

[Cayden] I have frogs, fish, and plants.

[Karmen] I just have frogs in mine.

[Mom] Hey kids, you forgot an important thing that you all have in your aquariums.

[Kids] What?

[Mom] Water!

[Cayden] Oh yeah!

[Dr. Jones] Anything in your aquarium, including the frogs, fish, and water, can have a germ called Salmonella.

[Kids] Really?!?!

[Dr. Jones] Yes. Does anyone know what Salmonella is?

[Karmen] I do; we've talked about it before on Kidtastics Radio. It's a germ that can make you really sick. You might get diarrhea or have a fever, headache, or tummy ache. You might even throw up! You could get so sick that you have to go to the doctor or a hospital!

[Cayden and Chris] Eeewww!! Yuck!!

[Dr. Jones] That's right Karmen. Salmonella can make you very sick.

[Mom] Does that mean that the fish and frogs can get sick from Salmonella too?

[Dr. Jones] Frogs and fish can have the germ Salmonella and not get sick. So, it's important to always be careful, even if you don't think your animals are sick. The Salmonella germ can be on the frogs, fish, rocks, plants, and other decorations in your aquarium. It can live in the water and on the aquarium itself. It can also be on anything the aquarium water touches, like your hands!

[Chris] So what should we do to make sure we don't get sick?

[Dr. Jones] Every time you touch anything in, on, or around the aquarium, including water from the tank, wash your hands. Use soap and water and rub your hands together for as long as it takes to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice. Tell your teacher; then you can both teach classmates how to be safe around aquariums.

[Kids] Yay!!

[Dr. Jones] If you don't wash your hands, you could spread the Salmonella germs to food, toys, or anything else you touch, even to other people in your family or school. Always keep aquariums and the animals in them out of the kitchen and away from any place where food is cooked or eaten. Also, if you have a little brother or sister younger than 5 years old, make sure they don't have an aquarium in their room or get near your aquarium. Young kids can get sick really easily. Tell whoever cleans the aquarium to take it outside to clean it. You don't want the water to get on things in the house and spread the Salmonella germs around.

[Mom] What should I do if I think Karmen's aquarium has made us sick from Salmonella?

[Dr. Jones] Call a veterinarian, Kathy; he or she can help. Also, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

[Mom] Okay. Thanks, Dr. Jones.

[Karmen] Thanks for listening to CDC Kidtastics Radio. We'll talk to you again soon. Until then... be a safer, healthier kid!!

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.