CHICAGO - Two girls who swam with pet turtles in a backyard pool were among 107 people sickened in the largest salmonella outbreak blamed on turtles nationwide, researchers report.
The 2007-08 outbreak involved mostly children in 34 states; one-third of all patients had to be hospitalized. In many cases, parents didn’t know that turtles can carry salmonella.
Despite a 1975 ban on selling small turtles as pets, they continue to be sold illegally.
The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that the number of pet turtles nationwide doubled from 950,000 in 1996 to almost 2 million in 2006.
“Continued, collective efforts are needed, both on state and federal levels, to enforce the ban and protect public health,’’ according to the report, which appears in Pediatrics, released today.
“It’s very easy to think of turtles as being a very gentle and nice pet,’’ but many carry salmonella, without showing any signs, said Julie Harris, a scientist at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the report’s lead author.
Salmonella in turtle feces can end up on their shells and body, and can spread to people who handle them. The Food and Drug Administration contacted retailers involved and their investigation is ongoing, the report said.
Authorities began investigating in September 2007 after a Union County, N.C., teen swam in her backyard pool with two pet turtles and a friend from South Carolina. Both girls developed bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps; one developed kidney failure and spent eight days in the hospital.
