Pet Hedgehogs Linked To Salmonella Outbreak Across Canada

The pets can carry the bacteria even if they look healthy.
Senior Writer

There's yet another salmonella outbreak in Canada and this time it's because of exposure to pet hedgehogs.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is investigating this latest outbreak of infections that have been happening in three provinces.

Many of the people who became ill reported having contact with hedgehogs before they got sick and the pets were bought from different places like pet stores, breeders and online sellers.

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11 confirmed cases of salmonella linked to hedgehogs in Canada

As of November 6, there have been 11 confirmed cases in Canada with four in Alberta, one in Saskatchewan and six in Quebec.

People reported becoming sick between December 2019 and August 2020 and range in age from two months to 63 years old.

So far, there have been no hospitalizations or deaths because of this salmonella outbreak. 

The Public Health Agency of Canada said that hedgehogs can carry the bacteria even if they seem to be healthy and clean.

Even just touching a surface or item where they've been can put people at risk of getting infected.

There have been a couple of salmonella outbreaks in Canada this year including one that was because of onions.

*Cover photo used for illustrative purposes.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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