Risk of salmonella in bearded dragons

Question
We purchased our first reptile, a bearded dragon, this evening. I am looking for some guidelines for handling with our two young children, pertaining to salmonella risk. My main concern is for my two year old - should she not be allowed to handle at all? I want to keep her safe & she is at that age where her hands go everywhere, in her eyes & mouth all the time.... It is my six year old's pet (we are finally giving into his reptile obsession) and I can tell he is going to want to have it out a lot. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Abby

Answer
Hello Abigail,

I can understand your concern for your young children.
Normally, salmonella is not too much of a concern as long as they do not handle feces & then put their hands in their mouth.
As long as the dragon is clean, then they cannot transmit salmonella any other way.  If your children do not have suppressed immune systems, they wont become infected very easily but with young children it is just important to always wash the hands.
So, there should be no reason why your 2 year old can't learn how to properly handle the new dragon.  

If you have more questions, let me know!

Tracie