The little glassy-eyed creatures may look cute and harmless, but small turtles can make people very ill, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns. Salmonella can cause a serious or even life-threatening infection in people, even though the bacteria do not make turtles sick. 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 have recently increased because of a resurgence in the sales of small turtles by some pet shops, flea markets, street vendors, and online stores. From May 1, 2007, to January 18, 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of Salmonella infection in 103 people — most of them children –in 33 states. Health officials found that the strain of Salmonella that caused the outbreak in people was the same strain found on many of the turtles (or their habitats) belonging to those who became ill. Read More

[Tags]salmonella, people, turtles, , bacteria, sick, natural pet health[/Tags]