RSS
Home
Pet turtles responsible for making children sick
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Baby Turtles too small to be sold legally
According to a study published in MSNBC News, children in 34 states have become severely ill from pet turtles. Despite efforts to educate families about the risk of contracting salmonella poisoning from their shelled pet, some families still have no idea that it is a threat.
MSNBC explains the issue like this:
"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.
One out of three patients who contracted salmonella poisoning from a pet turtle had to be admitted to the hospital. Severe cases can lead to kidney failure.
For safety reason, it has been illegal to sell baby turtles smaller than 4 inches in diameter since a law was enacted in 1975 to protect the public. (The law started when children began getting sick after putting infected baby turtles into their mouths. The thinking behind this is that larger turtles can't fit as easily into a child's small mouth.) But that doesn't mean it has stopped illegal sales on the streets, online, or through pet stores that don't follow the law. (I've personally witnessed two individuals attempting to sell tiny turtles, once in a pet store and once on a street corner just last week.)
Common mistakes turtle owners are making are forgetting to wash their hands thoroughly after touching a turtle, kissing or putting a turtle near their mouth, washing turtle habitats in community sinks where food is prepared or babies are also bathed, and some have even gotten sick from swimming with their turtle.
Breeders have tried unsuccessfully to inject antibiotics into turtle eggs to keep them from getting salmonella, but the experiment backfired. The best way to stay safe is still to practice proper sanitation and knowing what and why the laws concerning pets are in place.
Other articles you may be interested in:
Turtle Farmers Take Fight to the Halls of Congress-- Turtle farmers fight the law that makes it illegal to sell turtles under 4"
Related Articles:
Comments
