HHS HealthBeat (April 16, 2010)

Turtle power

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A pet turtle is the gift that keeps on giving, and what it keeps on giving is salmonella.

And a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a large increase in salmonella illnesses associated with small pet turtles.

CDC researcher Dr. Karen Neil says a common way to get salmonella from a turtle is by touching it – but she emphasizes the turtle can make you sick even if you don’t touch it:

"Because the pets, like turtles, can shed salmonella, they can contaminate anything in their environment around them, and that includes turtle water, their habitats, or any surfaces that they come into contact with."  (13 seconds)

Salmonella infection commonly causes fever, stomach pain, and diarrhea but can also be associated with more severe illness, and, occasionally, death.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 21, 2011