How to Prevent Salmonella From Turtles

Salmonellainfections from pet turtles is not a new concept. Most people are not at risk for serious disease, but everyone should take some basic steps to decrease their chance of infection. Basic hygiene is the key to keeping you, your family and your turtle safe and healthy.

What Is Salmonella?

Salmonella是一个属的细菌,导致气体吗trointestinal illness. It is shed in contaminated water or food and has absolutely nothing to do with salmon. It is very common for many reptiles to carrySalmonellaand not show any clinical signs. It is part of their normal gastrointestinal microbes.Clinical signs in humans may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and other GI signs.If you suspect you may have salmonelosis, contact your health professional. Veterinarians are required to report any humanSalmonellainfections transmitted from pets to state or local health departments.

How Did My Turtle Get Salmonella?

Salmonellais not just specific to turtles or even reptiles in general. It makes up the normal gastrointestinal flora of many reptiles. It does not cause disease in these species except for some extreme instances. Your pet may be carryingSalmonellaand test negative if they are not actively shedding the bacteria. It is best to assume any reptile or amphibians may be carrying Salmonella.

Salmonellacan also be carried by many other species including cats, dogs, rodents, and other pets. An outbreak of Salmonella infections in hedgehogs occurred in 2013 and involved several states and over two dozen people.Salmonellacan also cause infections in humans and other animals from infected food.Salmonellahas also been associated with rodents fed to other reptiles, such as snakes. This includes frozen rodents!

The risk of contractingSalmonellais real and should be taken seriously, however, with proper handling and care, you can drastically decrease your risk of infection. If you are a healthy individual and live with other healthy people, you are at minimal risk. As with most infectious disease, there is greater risk for the very young, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend notkeeping reptilesat all in households with at-risk individuals).

How to Prevent Salmonella Infections

For Humans

When it comes to keeping turtles and other reptiles, there is one key point to keep in mind:wash your hands.Wash your hands before handling your pet reptile and immediately after. Do not kiss or lick your turtle and supervise children handling pets. If your child cannot keep their mouths away from your pet, it is best to limit their interaction. The ban on selling hatchling turtles in the US was enacted back in 1975, largely in response to infections ofSalmonellain children from pet turtles (which were small enough to fit in their mouths), which were widely available back then.

Keep all of your turtle system cleaning equipment out of your kitchen andclean it regularly. Do not use any of your turtle system equipment for other household tasks or other reptile systems. For aquatic turtles, do not use your equipment on other aquatic systems, such as fish tanks.

For Reptiles

Turtles, especiallyaquatic turtles, like to make a mess of their tanks and swimming pools. Since Salmonella resides in their gut, any feces should be properly handled and disposed of regularly.Regular cleaning of the enclosure是至关重要的减少感染的风险Salmonella.Regular water changes for aquatic turtlesshould be part of your regular maintenance. Do not suck on any hoses to get siphons started! This will increase your chance of coming into contact withSalmonella. After handling tank water, be sure to wash your hands and clean your equipment.

What Are "Salmonella-Free Turtles?"

In recent years, the concept of Salmonella-free turtles was introduced, whereSalmonellabacteria are eradicated from turtle eggs, resulting inSalmonella-free hatchlings. However, studies have shown that previouslySalmonella-free turtles may eventually test positive forSalmonella.And remember, a negative test does not mean the turtle is assumedSalmonella-negative! It just means they are not currently shedding any bacteria.Veterinary treatment ofSalmonellain asymptomatic turtles using antibiotics is unsuccessfuland are not treated unless clinical signs are present and a culture and sensitivity test has been performed.

Therefore, do not waste your money on these "bacteria-free" strains. The idea of buyingSalmonella-free turtles only give owners a false sense of security. Even if you have a Salmonella positive turtle, which you most likely do, the risk of catching it is minimal if you take good care of your turtle and practice basic hygiene.

For more information aboutSalmonellaand reptiles, visit theAssociation of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. They have resources forpet ownersandveterinariansconcerning Salmonella infections in reptiles.