2023-08-23 19:37:27
In the midst of an outbreak of salmonellosis, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminded citizens that turtles should not be kissed, just like any other pet reptile, due to the diseases they may carry.
“Don’t kiss, don’t snuggle [contre vous] your turtle, do not eat or drink near it. This can spread Salmonella germs in your mouth and make you sick,” the CDC warned in a public notice on its website.
At least 26 people in 11 different states have been infected with Salmonella bacteria and nine of them have been hospitalized, according to the latest CDC figures. Last year, at least 28 such infections in 16 states were reported linked to turtles, resulting in 10 hospitalizations.
Remember that salmonellosis is a disease that usually manifests itself in the form of severe food poisoning, with symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
In Canada, the Public Health Agency also has a dedicated page on its website to warn that “Salmonella is naturally present in the intestines of most reptiles (lizards, snakes, turtles), which live with these bacteria without to be ill”.
These bacteria can therefore be transmitted when reptiles excrete feces into their environment, thus contaminating their bodies and the place where they live.
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