I had a snake AND a prem baby on oxygen (and a lazy partner ), I NEVER cleaned or fed or handled the snake with out thick leather gloves (as it goes the gloves were owl handling gloves, like gauntlets) I always wore a sleeveless t-shirt and I used sterile forceps to retrieve the mice from its plastic bag in the freezer and defrosted it in a holey topped specially designated Tupperware box, which were both sterilised after each use. I ALWAYS scrubbed with anti bacterial soap afterwards to my pits. My baby was more important!! The vivarium also had one of those locks on that is like the ones in a pet shop, so my kids and others couldn't get to her. And, anyone who touched Lizzie had to scrub WELL afterwards ... I would watch them (I am a control freak).