Pet Turtles Source of Salmonella - Infant Killed

[icnmgrjill]

Potentially Fatal Salmonella Infections from Pet Turtles
Turtles may look like cute pets, but it is estimated that they are responsible for over 70,000 cases of Salmonella infections every year in this country.

Some of these infections can be serious or even fatal. In one case, a four week-old infant died of a Salmonella infection that was traced to a pet turtle in the home. In another case, two teenage girls became very ill after they swam in an unchlorinated family pool where pet turtles had been allowed to swim.

Children, people with compromised immune systems, the elderly and pregnant women are especially susceptible to Salmonella infections. In addition to their susceptibility from an immune standpoint, young children are at high risk because they are likely to handle the turtles, and then without washing their hands, handle food or touch their mouths, which increases the possibility of ingesting the bacteria.

It does not require touching the turtle to be exposed to the Salmonella, because the turtle sporadically sheds the bacteria into its water and housing. So people cleaning the turtle’s bowl can become infected, too. Salmonella is also carried by other reptiles and amphibians.

FDA’s primary recommendation is to not buy small turtles as pets or gifts. For those who already own a turtle, reptile, or amphibian, here are some basic rules to help prevent illness:

• If your family is expecting a child, remove the animal from the home before the baby arrives.

• Keep turtles out of homes with children under five, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems.

• Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching the turtle or any object it has come in contact with.

• Do not clean turtle tanks or other supplies in the kitchen sink, and use bleach to disinfect the area where the turtle tank is cleaned.

• Be aware that children can contract Salmonella infections from turtles in petting zoos, parks, classrooms and daycare facilities.

• If you do have a turtle, watch for symptoms of Salmonella infection, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and headache, and call a doctor if these occur.

Additional Information:

FDA Consumer Health Information. Pet Turtles: Cute But Contaminated with Salmonella. January 25, 2007.
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/turtles012508.html

FDA Consumer Update. FDA Acts to Reduce Risk of Salmonella Infections November 28, 2008.
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/turtles112808.html

FDA Press Release. FDA Re-Emphasizes Warnings to Consumers on Risks of Pet Turtles. April 6, 2007.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01604.html

Alert to Parents – Pet Turtles May be Harmful to Your Children’s Health. July 2005.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/TurtlesFlier.pdf

Human Health Hazards Associated with Turtles, Information for Regulators and Public Health Educators.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/turtlereg.htm

FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Pet Turtles: A Common Source of Salmonella (brochure). October 2008.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/TurtleBrochureART.pdf

FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Pet Turtles: A Common Source of Salmonella (poster). October 2008.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/2ndDraftTurtlePoster.pdf

FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Pet Turtles: A Common Source of Salmonella (book cover art). October 2008.
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/bookcoverART.pdf

[ICNDonna]

This same thing happened when my kids were little --- I never allowed them to have pet turtles.

Donna

[yvette]

My ex and I had turtles together and that was the one thing I do remember the pet store telling us (and everyone who bought one) that the turtles do carry salmonella (esp their shells) and it was very important to wash our hands after we handled them.

It's so hard sometimes to keep up with all these quiet health hazards (ie: pregnant women should stay away from the kitty liter box, let alone clean it, or babies shouldn't eat honey)

::::sigh::::: so much to keep track of sometimes

[Briza]

This is a bad situatiion and one I have experience with...not from getting Salmonella but experience with working with turtles as an educator and biologist and also from living in a coastal resort town where for some time small FRESH water turtles were being sold in tourist trap t-shirt/souvenier shops.

Usually these turtles that are sold in t-shirt shops and flea markets and other places are juvenile turtles.....most often the red eared slider and soft shell turtles that are common to many fresh water lakes, ponds, rivers in many parts of the US. At least here in Texas there is a law that SHOULD prevent anyone other than educators, scientists and such from buying these turtles but it is not strictly enforced....all one has to do to purchase one of these fresh water turtles is to answer yes, that they are an educator, scientist, etc. No papers have to be provided to prove this, just answer yes and you can buy one of these turtles...if the question is even asked!

Twice I was taking evening run on the beach and found these freshwater turtles in an environment not appropriate for them....they were probably bought by tourists for their children to play with on the beach and were lost in the salt water surf in an environment in which they could not survive. I took them home and soon released them in more appropriate freshwater environment. Luckily I had personal contacts with with USFW, NMF, and TPWD, and I contacted all three to make them aware of what was going on with the juvenile freshwater turtles being sold in beach T-shirt shops and then being lost in the saltwater surg and not long after the sale of these turtles on my beach stopped.

Yes, they are a great hazard for children, especially since the small size of these turtles are perfect size for a child to place in mouth....and then be create great risk for contracting Salmonella, which like said of above can be fatal for young children and older people.

ALL turtles carry Salmonella, as do their eggs....I have worked with most all species of sea turtles...live, ill, dead, young, old, hatchlings...and great care was always taken to prevent contracting Salmonella...wearing gloves when handling any turtles, live or dead, and eggs. And we always washed well with bleach diluted in water and soap after handling any of the aforementioned....I have handled hundreds of thousands of turtles over the years and even more turtle eggs than that!! and with proper procedures and precauctions (gloves and clean up) have luckily not contracted Salmonella...but there is always that risk with turtles, and those who have turtles as pets probably do not handle them with gloves, nor follow adequate and proper cleaning procedures afterwards, and that makes them at more risk than even those of us who have worked with thousands or more turtles and eggs....I highly advise those who do keep turtles as pets to handle them as I did with gloves, follow proper clean up and sanitizing procedures, and to NOT let children handle turtles at all because of the increased serious health risks to children.

[mrachel]

I didn't know we had a law preventing most people from purchasing turtles. My mom wanted to buy me a class pet when I first started teaching and suggested a turtle. I told her about the salmonella issue and said no thanks. I just wouldn't want to take a risk in a normal classroom environment. I worked at another school that had several turtles in a pond and they did allow older children to help with them but it always made me nervous.

Do hermit crabs have the same issue? I thought my son might like one when he's older.

[crazy_beautiful]

wow, I never knew that. thanks for the information.