Pet turtles blamed for salmonella outbreak in USA

Despite being banned as pets in the USA, tiny pet turtles are being blamed for six recent outbreaks of salmonella which has affected hundreds of people in the country.

In 1975, the USA's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of any turtle with a shell of less than four inches as people were likely to kiss them or place them in their mouth, risking contaminating themselves with the Salmonella commonly found in turtles.

Turtle-related illness dropped sharply following the ban, however, a recent rise in the illness has caused authorities to believe they are being sold again on the black market.

In the state of Maryland, authorities have seized around 500 undersized turtles in the past year and, in that time, turtle-related illness has been reported in 30 states, according to the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Children are especially vulnerable to the illness as their immune systems are not fully developed.

All turtles shed salmonella in their droppings, and the bacteria can end up on their shells and skin. It is important for owners to wash their hands after dealing with pet turtles or their tanks, and never put their turtle near their mouth.

Microbiology professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Eduardo Groisman, said: "In a space the size of a pinhead, you can have up to a million salmonella bacteria - that's more that enough to make a person sick."

Law enforcement officials are relying on tips, sting operations and periodic pet store inspections to keep the turtles off the market.