They’re cute and fuzzy, but small animals known as “pocket pets” also can carry harmful diseases – including salmonella poisoning.

“This is kind of new,” said Kim Ens, disease control program coordinator for the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. “We’ve always known salmonella can be spread by reptiles, chickens, ducks and raw meat. But any pet can actually pass on diseases.”

Pocket pets include gerbils, hamsters and mice.

“They’re pretty popular,” said Jacki Wigington, small animals and avian manager at Pet World in Lawrence. “I think hamsters are a little more popular because of their size and their cage set-ups.”

The little animals, however, have been pinpointed as the source for outbreaks of salmonella infection last year in Minnesota and South Carolina. People were exposed to sick hamsters from a Minnesota pet distributor, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Salmonella can cause fever, cramping, nausea and diarrhea.

A black bear hamster sizes up a carrot as Pet World employee Evan Boxberger looks on. Pocket pets, such as gerbils and hamsters, can spread salmonella. Pet World suggests that people sanitize their hands after handling such pets.

Officials with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department said they weren’t aware of any similar cases in Kansas.

They said the outbreaks shouldn’t prevent people from buying the pets but are encouraging pet owners to take reasonable precautions.

“Our recommendation is no matter what the pet – hamster, guinea pig, snake or dog – the best thing you can do is wash your hands after handling your pet,” said Dr. Gail Hansen, acting state epidemiologist and state public health veterinarian. “Washing your hands is going to be your best defense.”

The concern about rodents infecting people with salmonella prompted the county health department to send a reminder to local day cares, some of which have gerbils and hamsters at their facilities.

Tina Ferguson, the health department’s child care licensing coordinator, sent notices about the matter to area day care providers earlier this month.

“I don’t think there’s a problem,” Ferguson said. “What we have done already and plan to do in the future is send a fact sheet from the CDC to all the directors at all the centers to alert them about this issue.”

The pets aren’t a danger to children, Ens said. But parents and caretakers need to make sure children are old enough to understand that they should wash their hands after taking care of any pet, she said.