Some salmonella outbreaks in California traced to tiny pet turtles, dirty tanks

At least 51 people nationwide, including six in California, became ill with salmonella this summer after handling tiny, illegally-sold turtles, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC began investigating the salmonella outbreak on Aug. 16 after receiving case reports from medical staff in 24 states, including California. Those reports said people were getting sick after touching tiny turtles sold by street vendors, gift shops, and online retailers.

According to the CDC's report, more cases resulted from turtles sold at a brick-and-mortar pet shop in an unnamed state, at least one turtle brought to a swap meet, and two cases of someone receiving a turtle as a gift.

The turtles were too small to be legally sold under a federal law that bans trade in turtles, tortoises and terrapins with an upper shell less than 4 inches long, according to the Food and Drug Administration .

That law is in place to help prevent the kind of outbreak in August. “Although any turtle can carry salmonella germs that can spread to you and make you sick, turtles with shells less than 4 inches long are a known source of illness,” the CDC said.

Here's what to know about the salmonella outbreak in turtles.

How salmonella can be linked to turtles

The salmonella outbreak stems from a larger problem: People don't understand what they’re getting into when they buy a turtle, said Katie Rickon, owner of the nonprofit animal rescue Tortoise Acres in Anderson.

Turtles may carry salmonella on their skin and shell, according to pet care and public health websites.

The bacteria can cause fever, diarrhea, dehydration, stomach pains, and, in rare cases, death in humans and some other animals. According to the CDC, of the 51 people who contracted salmonella after handling the turtles, 23 were sick enough to land in the hospital.

Salmonella bacteria is found in turtle droppings. It can spread to turtles' bodies, water, food dishes, enclosures, and anywhere else they go. According to the CDC, people can get sick after touching the turtle or the animal's enclosure and then touching their face or food without washing their hands thoroughly.

What turtle owners need to know about cleanliness

Illnesses tend to be linked to dirty enclosures and owners not keeping their pets clean, Rickon said.

Turtles require a lot of care and a large enclosure. “For every four inches of shell, an aquatic turtle needs 40 gallons of water" with a filtration system, said Rickon. "Most people get two (turtles), so you'll need 80 gallons of water. Otherwise, the water “will be dirty in a week” and full of the animal's fecal matter. Then, the turtles drink that water, Rickon said.

Reptiles, amphibians and other animals ― including infected humans who don't thoroughly wash their hands after using the bathroom ― can spread the bacteria. However, most of the 1.35 million salmonella infections reported annually are caused by people eating infected food. About 26,500 of those cases are bad enough out the person in the hospital. About 420 people die from salmonella each year, the CDC reported.

The cost of owning pet turtles

Keeping turtles and other pets clean and healthy requires investment in money and time. Even that 80-gallon tank won’t hold a baby turtle for long Rickon said: “They’re so darn cute. Then they grow big, fast."

Some pet owners don't understand the long-term commitment that comes with a baby turtle. One common pet species, the red-eared slider, lives up to 40 years or more. Turtle lifespans vary from 10 to 150 years, PetMD reports, but most live into their 50s with good care and clean enclosures.

By the time they're six months old, some turtle owners have tired of cleaning them, don't want to pay for a larger tank, or the animal just gets too big for them to handle, Rickon said. Some people illegally release their animals at Mary Lake, Anderson River Park, or other bodies of water where “they kill or fight for food” with indigenous turtles, Rickon said.

Native to the Mississippi Valley, red-eared sliders were released by their owners into waterways in Shasta, Butte and other California counties and elsewhere, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported. Red-eared sliders are now listed as one of the 100 most invasive species in the world .

In the wild, red-eared sliders "breed like rabbits," said Rickon, whose turtle rescue has to turn away approximately five sliders a day from March to July, when the species comes out of hibernation. "They get hit on the roads" while sunning themselves. "It's sad."

More: How long do turtles live? Expected lifespans for pet and wild tortoises.

It's illegal to abandon any pet according to the San Diego Humane Society , but that doesn't stop people from doing it.

The CDFW asked anyone with a turtle they can’t care for any more to contact a local shelter or reptile rescue organization or give their pet to someone who will care for it.

Information: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/Redeared-Slider .

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook . Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Some salmonella outbreaks in California traced to tiny pet turtles, dirty tanks