Capsules of dried rattlesnake meat- a Hispanic folk remedy purported to cure a host of health problems including acne, impotence, AIDS and cancer, can be contaminated with a potentially lethal strain of salmonella bacteria, a U.S. infection control expert warns.
John James, a microbial epidemiologist at Children’s Hospital in Denver, said the life-threatening strain of bacteria Salmonella arizonae in capsules of dried rattlesnake meat caused a child to become seriously ill. The child in this case had systemic lupus, a chronic disease of the connective tissue. But he survived.
James said in a statement, we’ve used DNA molecular testing to prove definitively that the salmonella bacteria found in the dried meat was the cause of a life-threatening case of salmonella blood poisoning in a patient treated at our hospital.
Salmonella arizonae is known to cause infection in reptiles and other animals. .
The most common symptoms of salmonella poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. The infection becomes especially deadly if it spreads to the blood.
The rattlesnake capsules believed by some to treat many types of diseases are often given to people whose immune systems already are compromised.
He urged that capsules should be removed from the market, the manufacturers should be required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to irradiate the product before it is sold.
James presented his findings at the annual scientific sessions of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America in Baltimore.
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