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.
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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.