Don’t Put That Turtle In Your Mouth
Seems like a no-brainer, right? Yes, but babies put everything in their mouths, so it’s likely that a tiny pet turtle is going in there, too.
Watch out, because turtles aren’t the cleanest animals, even when they’re small. That’s why a federal ban was instituted 30 years ago that prohibits the sale of turtles less than 4 inches in diameter as pets. Plenty of these small creatures are still sold illegally, and many people have since forgotten the ban or chosen to ignore it.
That is until recently, when an outbreak of salmonella has been linked to pet turtles. MSNBC reports that 107 people were sickened nationwide in 2007-08.
Turtles and many other reptiles carry salmonella. They don’t get sick but can pass salmonella on to humans. The disease is most commonly found in turtle feces, which can be spread onto their feet or shell. The disease can be spread when someone picks up the turtle or lets it walk around on common surfaces.
So, if you’re going to have a pet turtle around, everyone must wash their hands thoroughly after handling a turtle and not allow it to walk on surfaces where food is prepared or consumed. Always keep a keen eye on an infant or toddler when they interact with a small turtle, so that they do not put it in their mouths — and wash their hands immediately.
Infants aren’t the only ones who can get sick from pet turtles. Two teen girls who went swimming in a backyard pool with pet turtles were hospitalized for salmonella symptoms. One girl was hospitalized because of kidney failure. In the water, the contaminated bacteria spread throughout the pool and infected the swimmers.
The easiest way to avoid your child getting sick from a pet turtle is to not buy your kid a pet turtle. However, if you’re going to do that anyway, just try to keep your turtle and your child from getting too close to each other:
• don’t let your child swim with the turtle;
• don’t let your child put the turtle in her mouth (which is why the ban on small turtles was enacted in the first place);
• don’t let your turtle walk across food preparation surfaces, like kitchen counters;
• don’t bathe your baby in a sink where you’ve washed the turtle cage.
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