Tag Archives: turtle

For salmonella sake, don’t touch lizards or cast members of Jersey Shore

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Replace the term “amphibian and reptile” with “Jersey Shore cast member” and this advisory from the Jefferson Health Dept. in North Jersey is still accurate.

Contact with amphibians (such as frogs and toads) and reptiles (such as turtles, snakes, and lizards) can be a source of human salmonella infections.

• Small turtles, with a shell length of less than four inches, are a well-known source of human Salmonella infections, especially among young children. Because of this risk, the Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of these turtles since 1975.

• Amphibians and reptiles can carry salmonella germs and still appear healthy and clean.

• To prevent contamination, keep amphibians and reptiles out of kitchens and other areas where food and drink is prepared, served, or consumed.

• Don’t let children younger than 5 years of age, older adults, or people with weak immune systems handle or touch amphibians or reptiles.

• Don’t let reptiles and amphibians roam free in your home.

Don’t kiss that turtle: 132 sick in 2011 salmonella outbreak

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I still regret cuddling up to my pet turtle, but what did I know?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is collaborating with the Pennsylvania State Health Department in an ongoing investigation of an outbreak of human Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi B var. L (+) tartrate + infections associated with pet turtle exposures (MMWR, 61(04);79).

Turtles have long been recognized as sources of human Salmonella infections and are a particular risk to young children (1). Although the sale or distribution of small turtles (those with carapace lengths <4 inches [<10.2 cm]) has been prohibited in the United States since 1975 (with exceptions for scientific or educational purposes) (2), they are still available for illegal purchase through transient vendors on the street, at flea markets, and at fairs.

During August 5, 2010–September 26, 2011, a total of 132 cases of human Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L (+) tartrate + infection were reported in 18 states. The median age of patients was 6 years (range: <1–75 years), 66% were aged <10 years, and 63% were female. No deaths were reported. Of the 56 patients interviewed, 36 (64%) reported turtle exposure. For 15 patients who could recall the type of turtle contacted, 14 identified turtles too small to be legally traded. Five samples of turtle tank water from patient homes tested positive for the outbreak strain (four from Pennsylvania and one from South Carolina). Investigation to trace the source of these turtles is difficult because the vendors are transient. These cases illustrate that small turtles remain a source of human Salmonella infections, especially for young children.

Although many reptiles carry Salmonella, small turtles pose a greater risk to young children because they are perceived as safe pets, are small enough to be placed in the mouth, and can be handled as toys. Despite a 30-year ban on small turtles, this ongoing outbreak suggests that ban enforcement efforts, as well as public education efforts, have not been fully successful and should be examined.

In 2010, in response to a 2007 lawsuit filed by the Independent Turtle Farmers of Louisiana, Inc. seeking to overturn the ban, a federal district court upheld the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to enforce the ban (3). Regulating the sale of small turtles likely remains the most effective public health action to prevent turtle-associated salmonellosis (4,5).

Reported by
Andre Weltman, MD, Aaron Smee, MPH, Maria Moll, MD, Marshall Deasy, Pennsylvania Dept of Public Health. Jeshua Pringle, MPH, Ian Williams, PhD, MS, Casey Barton Behravesh, DVM, DrPH, Jennifer Wright, DVM, Div of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Janell Routh, MD, Allison Longenberger, PhD, EIS officers, CDC. Corresponding contributor: Janell Routh, jrouth@cdc.gov, 404-718-1153.

References
CDC. Multistate outbreak of human Salmonella Typhimurium infections associated with pet turtle exposure—United States, 2008. MMWR 2010;59:191–6.
Code of Federal Regulations. Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements, 21 C.F.R. Sect. 1240.62 (2011). Available athttp://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=1240.62 . Accessed January 24, 2012.
Independent Turtle Farmers of Louisiana v. United States, 703 F. Supp. 2d 604 W.D. La (March 30, 2010). Available athttp://dockets.justia.com/docket/louisiana/lawdce/1:2007cv00856/103949 . Accessed January 24, 2012.
Harris J, Neil K, Barton Behravesh C, Sotir M, Angulo F. Recent multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections acquired from turtles: a continuing public health challenge. Clin Infect Dis 2010;50:554–9.
Cohen ML, Potter M, Pollard R, Feldman R. Turtle-associated salmonellosis in the United States. JAMA 1980;243:1247–9.

Salmonella warning: careful helping that turtle across the road

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 Turtles, even those in the wilds of Maine, are wonderful sources of salmonella.

Ken Allen, an editor, writer and photographer, writes in Maine’s Morning Sentinel that on Aug. 27, the day before Hurricane Irene hit Maine, Katelyn, my youngest daughter, and I were bicycling north on Route 27 and came to the "turtle crossing" just south of the old Messalonskee Lake boat launch by Belgrade Stream, apparently an ancient migration route for this reptile.

That day, a painted turtle — large as this species goes — had hunkered in grass by the breakdown lane, pointing west toward the busy highway.

That day with Katelyn, I stopped my bicycle, showed her the turtle and said, "Why don’t you move it across the road so no one runs over it."

I wanted Katelyn to get accustomed to doing good deeds for wildlife, but she was worried the turtle might scratch her, a good thing.

Unknown to me at that moment, aquatic turtles commonly carry salmonella bacteria. I should have known that fact after writing nature articles for the past three decades — but just didn’t.

Normally, this small species doesn’t claw people anywhere near as readily as snappers do, making me careless. When I gently grasped the carapace with my fingers and thumb between the front and back legs, the turtle immediately reached back with its right front leg and scratched my index finger hard enough to break the skin. Then later, without washing my hands, I ate a piece of pizza at a convenience store. Either incident could have given me Salmonella poisoning.

By Monday morning, I was deathly sick with diarrhea, big-time nausea, headache, fever, chill and worst of all, severe abdominal pain, and it lasted through the power outage until well into Wednesday.

The following day, I told William Woodward, a retired biologist, about the snapper, and he quickly said, "Be careful handling turtles because they commonly carry Salmonella."

Infant in Ireland stricken with botulism from pet turtle, reptiles not suitable as pets for under fives

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An infant in Ireland is recovering after a bout with botulism type E, most likely due to exposure to a pet turtle or turtle feed.

Dr Paul McKeown, a specialist in public health medicine at the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) warned that reptiles are not appropriate pets for children under the age of five.

Reptiles such as snakes, lizards, tortoises, turtles and terrapins have become extremely popular as pets, he said, but they require careful handling as they carry a range of germs that can lead to illness. Washing hands after touching them is very important.

“Given the risks, reptiles should not be kept as pets in a house where there are children under the age of five,” he added.

There are a number of different types of botulism toxin but the type which the baby picked up – type E – is so rare it was only the seventh case ever reported in an infant worldwide, the centre said.
 

Operation Flying Turtle nabs two Japanese allegedly smuggling 55 live turtles into LAX in snack food boxes

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The L.A. Times reports that federal officials arrested two Japanese men for allegedly smuggling 55 live turtles into LAX in snack food boxes.

Atsushi Yamagami, 39, and Norihide Ushirozako, 49, were arrested Friday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after an undercover sting operation, according to a statement by the U.S. attorney’s office.

Authorities said they infiltrated the ring over the last few months in an investigation known as "Operation Flying Turtle."

Prosecutors said the charges carry a maximum possible federal prison sentence of 20 years.

"In August 2010, Hiroki Uetsuki, an associate of Yamagami and Ushirozako, traveled from Osaka, Japan, and arrived at Honolulu International Airport," where turtles were discovered in his suitcase, prosecutors said.

"After U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents arrested Uetsuki, he informed the agents that Yamagami paid him approximately 100,000 yen (approximately $1,200) and his travel expenses to smuggle turtles and tortoises into the United States," officials said.

Down on the Corner: water turtles sold on Texas street corners illegal

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kfoxtv.com reports that baby water turtles are sold on the side of the road all across the Borderland, but not everyone knows it’s illegal to sell them.

Water turtles pose a health risk, according to officials. Even the sale of aquatic turtles at pet stores is a violation of city ordinance. Health officials say they can spread salmonella.

Martin Castellon from West El Paso said,

"When I saw the turtles, they looked pretty cute, and then I thought about my girl and I wonder if she might want a little pet or something like that.”

What Castellon saw was a car parked at the Burger King on North Mesa with a sign advertising water turtles. And he wasn’t the only one who thought they were cute. This seller was open for business but illegally.

When a KFOX crew went up to the sellers they didn’t want to be interviewed and started packing up to leave. We let Castellon know about the situation.

"I did not know that. I’ve just been caught in a crime? Am I being punked?" said Castellon.

For some awesome lip-synching and old-timey costumes, check out the CCR video for Down on the Corner. It’s not about turtles.
 

2 sick with salmonella in Iowa, possibly (again) in turtles

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There’s always a national outbreak of something going on. And in addition to food, there’s often outbreaks of disease linked to turtles.

The Gazette Online reports state health officials are warning Iowans about touching reptiles after two Eastern Iowans contracted salmonella.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the two illnesses could be associated with a national outbreak linked to exposure to snakes, turtles, lizards or other reptiles.

Department spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm said the two patients contracted the illness – Salmonella Typhimurium – between May 22 and June 13.

And don’t kiss turtles.
 

Two-headed calves and cats and other pets

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My parents thought pets in the suburbs was cruel, so I never had any – except for the turtle trauma.

My ex-wife the veterinarian did a few cool things, in addition to the four daughters, and one was to surprise me with two kittens from the vet college at the University of Guelph. I named them Clark and Kent. I’ve hung out with dogs and cats ever since.

Our two current cats came from a veterinarian in Walkerton, Ontario, in 2003, and have survived the moving around to Kansas. There were three kittens, but the one named Lucky wasn’t so lucky (Lucky’s on the left, the two black ones are still with us). I was reminded of that when my friend Jim, the former dairy farmer in Walkerton, e-mailed me yesterday.

The other cool thing I got to see via the ex-wife was the two-headed calf that was delivered to the vet college while still alive in 1986. And it’s happened again in Egypt, where a farmer says his cow has given birth to a two-headed calf that he calls a "divine miracle."

The veterinarian informed the farmer that the calf, which was born this week, is now in stable condition and is expected to survive. The calf in Guelph didn’t last long.

Never Kiss a Froggy Frog

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To entertain Sorenne today, we stopped by the Hallmark store at the Manhattan Mall. In addition to her favorite Webkinz, we found miniature (living) frogs in little glass cubes. Sorenne was fascinated with what she called, “fish.”

Accompanying the display was a clearly posted warning about handling reptiles. Although frogs are amphibians, I was delighted to see the information. I asked the store staff if I could take a picture. They were taken aback by the request but didn’t mind. The poster from the CDC highlights what Doug has often said in the past: “Do not nuzzle or kiss your pet reptile.” Other tips include:

– Always wash your hands thoroughly after you handle your pet reptile, its food and anything it has touched.
– Keep your pet reptile in a habitat designed for it; don’t let it roam around the home.
– Keep your pet reptile and its equipment out of the kitchen or any area where food is prepared.
– Keep reptiles out of homes where there are children under 1 year of age or people with weakened immune systems. Children under 5 should handle reptiles only with adult/parental guidance. And, they should always remember to wash their hands afterwards.

We didn’t buy a frog today, but I’m sure that request will come in time.

The delicious but dangerous turtle meat of Indonesia

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The Jakarta Post reports that a 57-year-old man died and 139 residents of South Pagai Island, in Mentawai, West Sumatra, have been treated for food poisoning after consuming the meat of a leatherback turtle.

Tiolina Saogo, chief of South Pagai public health center, told The Jakarta Post 30 residents had been put under intensive care.

There are frequent deaths from turtle-meat poisoning on the islands off the West Sumatran coast.