SALMONELLA OUTBREAK UPDATE: 31 sick, 9 hospitalized, and 1 death. Most of the people in this outbreak are children.

Turtles can carry Salmonella germs even if they look clean and healthy, especially turtles with shells less than 4 inches long. The sale of these small turtles as pets is illegal because of the health risk they pose.

Follow these steps to stay healthy around pet turtles: https://bit.ly/2MlUyK9.

CDC, profile pictureMay be an image of tortoise and text that says 'Turtles & Salmonella Stay healthy with your pet turtle: Wash your hands Clean your turtle supplies Keep your turtle away from your mouth and areas where you eat or prepare food If you are thinking of getting a pet turtle: Buy or adopt from a reputable store or rescue Only get turtles with shells at least 4 inches long Consider a different pet if your household has someone who is more likely to get severely ill from Salmonella'


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