CDC: Stop kissing, snuggling pet hedgehogs

First, they came for your chickens. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you need to stop snuggling your pet hedgehogs.

In a report issued Jan. 25, the CDC in Atlanta warns that 11 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella typhimurium.

>> Read more trending news

TRENDING NOW:

One person has been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

The outbreak — seen in Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Wyoming — has been linked to pet hedgehogs.

Illnesses started on Oct. 22, 2018. Those who became sick range in age from 2 to 28 years, with a median age of 12.

In 2016, the CDC issued a similar report about chickens.

"The CDC reported in its abstract that high-risk practices such as kissing birds —reported by 12 percent of case patients — and keeping poultry inside the home — reported by 46 percent of case patients — accounted in part for the increase in infections," Cox Media Group's National Content Desk reported.

Cox Media Group