CDC investigates big salmonella outbreak linked to little turtles

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a large outbreak of salmonella infections believed to trace back to handling little turtles, with shells less than four inches long. Many of the 51 individuals infected in 21 states are young children.

While there have been no deaths, 48% of those sickened have been hospitalized with the bacterial infection, which can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Most people recover on their own. But young children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to severe symptoms that are likely to require hospitalization, the CDC reported, and that hits hard part of the group that’s become sick in the outbreak.

Seventeen of those with salmonella are under age 5, the public health agency said in an email to media outlets. Ten are younger than a year old.

The CDC reported that “the true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella . In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes (several) weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

The ongoing outbreak involves people in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

The announcement comes almost a year after the public health agency investigated a similar outbreak in 2023 — also in August — that sent nine people to the hospital and sickened 26. As Deseret News reported , that outbreak involved 11 states.

Cuddly, cute, too-small turtles

It is illegal under federal law to sell or distribute turtles that have shells less than four inches long “because of repeated illnesses and outbreaks.” In spite of that, the CDC said that online retailers, pet stores and roadside markets do sell small turtles.

Turtles are not recommended for children younger than 5, those with weak immune systems or older adults because they are vulnerable to salmonella and it’s always a risk with reptiles, regardless of how clean their environment is kept.

Parents are warned that only turtles with shells longer than four inches should be considered for pets and they should alway be purchased from reputable pet stores or animal rescues. They also say that if you change your mind and decide you don’t want the turtle, it’s important to reach out to a pet store or reputable rescue. Don’t let it loose in the wild, which may also actually be illegal in your state.

According to the CDC’s investigation, the turtles in the outbreak came from different sources, including street vendors, online retailers, souvenir shops, as a gift, from a swap meet, a pet store and obtained through social media. There is no common turtle supplier identified.

Staying healthy with a pet turtle

Turtles are cute, but some interactions are apt to raise the risk of salmonella. The CDC offers these steps to stay healthy around a pet turtle:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and use soap after you touch or feed a turtle and clean or touch the area where it lives and roams.
• Don’t kiss or snuggle the turtle and don’t eat or drink around it, either. Those all raise the risk of spreading salmonella germs to your mouth and causing illness.
• Have a wash tub and sponge that are only used for your pet and its tank and other items. If you use a sink or bathtub, make sure it’s empty of anything not related to the turtle and then clean and disinfect it thoroughly as soon as you’re done.
• A turtle of any size can spread salmonella in its droppings, which spread to their bodies, tanks and environments, so care is needed to avoid it.

Last year, The New York Times reported that in the U.S., on average each year, there are roughly 1.35 million illnesses from salmonella, including 265,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths.