Two new salmonella outbreaks tied to tiny turtles brings the total infected to 347

In a follow up to a December report on the multistate salmonella outbreaks linked to “tiny” turtles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports two new outbreaks Friday.

Current Case Count Map
Image/CDC

There are now eight ongoing multistate outbreaks that have affected 347 people in 38 states. This is up from six outbreaks that sickened 248 people in 34 states in December.

The new outbreaks reported  include

• 19 individuals infected with Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-, strain A have been reported from 4 states (outbreak 7) and
• 43 individuals infected with Salmonella Typhimurium, strain A have been reported from 12 states and the District of Columbia (outbreak 8).

Since the outbreaks started about two years ago, 55 of the people infected required hospitalizations for their illness.

The CDC continues to collaborate with public health officials in multiple states and the FDA to investigate 8 overlapping, multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat).

Small turtles 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 and distribution of these turtles as pets since 1975. Turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches in size should not be purchased as pets or given as gifts.

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