pet snakes

Question
does having a snake for a pet cause a health risk to pregnant women?

Answer
That depends on the species of snake. A venomous snake could pose a significant health risk...hehe.

I assume you are talking about the average Colubrid snake however. In that respect, there is a risk, like with many things. But it is only a very slight risk.

There are a lot of people out there who routinely scream "salmonella" when it comes to reptiles. Yes, reptiles can carry salmonella, and sometimes staph in their mouths and digestive tract. I have seen people have some nasty reactions to the saliva of a bite from a non-venomous snake, like a Boa. But the truth is, that most other things you do all day long probably poses a greater health risk to yourself and an unborn child, than zoonoses from having a snake in the house. For example, the way the food recall situation is going, or gasoline fumes from filling the car up, from carbon monoxide, or formaldehyde that is off-gased from building materials, or rusty knives.

I would recommend you not handle any live rodent prey if you can. More people in the world have died from disease spread by rodents than from snakes themselves...by either disease, venomous bites, or constriction. It would be better altogether to avoid handling the snake or the prey if there is a chance you may get bitten by handling either. But if you know your snake pretty well, and you are using pre-killed/frozen prey, the risk is very negligible.

There are chemical substances in the average home which are far more dangerous, and those are what would really pose a concern for me. Even a dog or cat would be a greater concern. The list of zoonoses related disease from reptile to human pales in comparison to the frightening array of what you can catch from the average mammal. From mammals you can catch rabies, hanta virus, anthrax, typhus, plague, mad cow...the list goes on and on, and it's some of the worst things you could catch.

Reptile associated zoonoses in humans is most commonly attributed to aquatic turtles kept in filthy water without filtration, or from herbivorous lizards and tortoises which the owner has left rotting vegetable matter in the habitat. The list associated with illness from reptiles is really quite short and quite rare.

http://www.anapsid.org/chomeltables.html#table2

The one thing I would possibly caution and recommend on in regards to a snake, is to make sure it's habitat is always clean and has fresh substrate, that it is checked for parasites externally ( mites ), and possibly treated as a precaution at the vet with 50-100mg/kg Panacur ( fenbendazole ) for internal parasites.  

Always wash your hands after handling the snake or anything associated with the snake, and disinfect any utensils after use.

For more reading on the subject I recommend:
http://www.anapsid.org/mainzoonoses.html
http://www.anapsid.org/chomel.html