Pet Turtles Linked to Rise in

In some cases, the children put the turtle in their mouth. In other cases, children became sick from just living in the same house with a turtle or other infected family members.Salmonellacan live on surfaces for weeks, Harris noted.

Adults can get sick fromSalmonella, Harris said, but children get much sicker, and some can die, she said. "Small children should not be allowed to come into contact with turtles, the outcome is too dangerous and the risk is too high," she said.

According to the CDC,Salmonellainfection remains a major public health problem in the United States. Each year, 1.4 million cases are reported, an estimated 15,000 people are hospitalized, and 400 Americans die.

Gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, caused by the bacteria, typically begin 12 to 36 hours after exposure and generally last for two to seven days.

Reptiles and amphibians, including turtles, account for about 6 percent of allSalmonellacases and 11 percent of cases for those under 21.

One infectious-disease expert strongly advised parents not to buy these turtles as pets for their children.

"This is a problem that has been with us for more than 40 years," said Dr. Pascal James Imperato, the distinguished service professor and chair of the department of preventive medicine and community health and director of the master of public health program at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in New York City.

Children tend to handle these turtles a great deal, Imperato said. "Their fingers come into contact with all the material on the turtle and in the water. Then. there is finger-to-mouth contact, and they acquire the infection," he said.

Imperato said that to protect themselves, people who handle these turtles should wash their hands after touching the animals. ButSalmonella-contaminated water can be splashed onto surfaces and cause the germ to spread.

Also, most people aren't likely to wash their hands thoroughly after they have handled a turtle or come into contact with contaminated objects or water, he said.

"The best strategy is not to purchase these turtles," Imperato said.

More information

For more on theSalmonella-turtle connection, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: Julie Harris, Ph.D., Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; Pascal James Imperato, M.D., distinguished service professor, and chair, department of preventive medicine and community health and director, master of public health program, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, New York City; Jan. 25, 2008, CDCMorbidity andMortality Weekly Report