Consumer Health Information
www.fda.gov/consumer
Pet Turtles:
Cute But Contaminated
with Salmonella
T
he little glassy-eyed
creatures may look cute and
harmless, but small turtles
can make people very ill. Turtles
commonly carry bacteria called
Salmonella on their outer skin
and shell surfaces.
1 / FDA Consumer Health Information / U.S. Food and Drug Administration FEBRUARY 2014
People can get Salmonella by coming in
contact with
• turtles or other reptiles (lizards,
snakes)
• amphibians (frogs, salamanders,
newts)
• the habitats of reptiles or
amphibians, like cages, tanks and
aquariums)
Salmonella can cause a ser ious or even
life-threatening infection in people,
even though the bacteria do not make
reptiles or amphibians sick. An example
is the 2007 death of a four-week-old
baby in Florida linked to Salmonella
from a small turtle. The DNA of the
Salmonella from the tur tle matched t hat
from the infant.
People infected with Salmonella may
have diarrhea, fever, stomach pain,
nausea, vomiting, and headache.
Symptoms usually appear 6 to 72 hours
after contact with the bacteria and last
about 2 to 7 days. Most people recover
without treatment, but some get so sick
that they need to be treated in a hospital.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Because young children are more vulnerable to the effects of Salmonella,
since 1975, FDA has banned the sale of turtles with a shell less than four
inches long.
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2 / FDA Consumer Health Information / U.S. Food and Drug Administration FEBRUARY 2014
Who Is at Risk?
Anyone can get Salmonella infection,
but the risk is highest in
• infants
• young children
• elderly people
• people with lowered natural
resistance to infection due to
pregnancy, cancer, HIV/AIDS,
diabetes, and other diseases
“All reptiles and amphibians are
natural car riers of Salmonella,” says
Vic L. Boddie II, Ph.D., a Consumer
Safety Ofcer in the Food and Drug
Administration’s (FDA’s) Center
for Veterinary Medicine. “And
unfortunately, if children come in
contact with small turtles and become
ill, they tend to get more severely sick
than a healthy adult would.” Because
of this health risk, since 1975,
FDA has banned the sale of small
turtles with a shell less than four
inches long.
“Young children nd very creative
way s to infe c t themselves,” say s Bodd ie.
“They often put the small turtles in
their mouths, touch the turtles, or
even put their fingers in the turtle
tank water and then into their mouths.
Also, reptile tanks and equipment are
sometimes cleaned in the kitchen sink,
often cross-contaminating food and
eating utensils.”
Surfaces such as countertops, table-
tops, bare oors, and carpeting can
also become contaminated with the
bacteria if t he turtle is allowed to roam
on them. The bacteria may survive for
a long period of time on these sur faces.
Infection From Turtles and Frogs
on the Rise
Infectious disease specialists estimate
that banning small turtles prevents
100,000 Salmonella infections in
children each year in the United
States. But disturbingly, Salmonella
infections from these animals still
occur because some pet shops, ea
markets, street vendors, and online
stores still sell small turtles.
From May 23, 2011, to May 6, 2013,
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) received reports of
391 Salmonella-related illnesses in 40
states and the District of Columbia,
most of whom were children.
Fortunately, there were no deaths.
However, 63 people were so sick that
they needed to be hospitalized. The
investigation showed that shortly
before most of the people became
ill, they were exposed to a turtle
by touching, feeding, cleaning the
habitat, or changing the water in the
tank. More specically, six persons
got sick after purchasing and handling
small turtles from a souvenir shop,
while others became ill and needed to
be hospitalized from handling tur t les
purchased from a street vendor.
In many cases, health of cials were
able to link the Salmonella strains that
caused the outbreak to strains that
were found on many of the turtles
(or their habitats) that belonged to
the people who became ill.
More recently, frogs were named as
the source of a Salmonella outbreak.
As of July 18, 2011, CDC has received
reports of 241 individuals in 42 states
who were infected with Salmonella
associated with water frogs, including
African dwarf frogs. Water frogs
commonly live in aquariums or sh
tanks. Since 2009, there have been
two major outbreaks associated with
water frogs. These outbreaks generally
affected children, requiring some
infec ted individuals to be hospitalized.
Advice for Consumers
• Don’t buy small turtles or other
reptiles or amphibians for pets or
as gifts.
• If your family is expecting a child,
remove any reptile or amphibian from
the home before the infant arrives.
• Keep reptiles and amphibians out
of homes with children under 5
years old, the elderly, or people
with weakened immune systems.
• Do not clean aquariums or other
supplies in the kitchen sink. Use
bleach to disinfect a tub or other
place where reptile or amphibian
habitats are cleaned.
• Always wash hands thoroughly
with soap and water after touching
any reptile or amphibian, its
housing, or anything (for example,
food) that comes in contact with
the animal or its housing.
• Be aware that Salmonella infection
can be caused by contact with
reptiles or amphibians in petting
zoos, parks, child day care
facilities, or other locations.
• Watch for symptoms of Salmonella
infection, such as diarrhea,
stomach pain, nausea, vomiting,
fever, and headache. Call your
doctor if you or your family have
any of these symptoms.
All reptiles and amphibians are commonly contaminated with Salmonella.
But it is the small turtles that most often are put in contact with young
children, where consequences of infection are likely to be severe.