The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced a Salmonella outbreak linked to small pet turtles that has so far sickened at least 26 people in 11 states, with 9 people hospitalized, but no deaths reported.
Illness onsets began in October 2022, and two outbreak strains are involved. Salmonella Stanley was identified in 24 infections, and Salmonella Pomona was detected in 2 patients. Most people recover without medical care, so the true number of sick people is likely much higher than reported cases. The latest illness onset is July 19, and roughly one third of the patients are younger than 5 years old.
PulseNet, the CDC's genetic subtyping network, has identified illnesses that may be part of the outbreak, and whole-genome sequencing suggests that the bacteria from sick people are genetically related.
80% reported contact with turtles
State and local health officials interviewed people about their contacts with animal in the week before symptoms began, which revealed that of 20 people with available information, 16 (80%) had contact with pet turtles, mostly small ones with shells smaller than 4 inches long. Of 13 patients with purchase information, 6 got them from online retailers, 5 from stores, and 1 from a reptile show.
In July, the Tennessee Department of Health obtained samples from two turtles—bought from a pet store—and their tank in a sick patient's home, and the samples closely matched samples from other sick people.
Small turtles have been linked to several Salmonella outbreaks in the past, including one in 2022 that was linked to at least 28 infections in 16 states. Federal law bans the sale of small turtles, but they can sometimes be found online or through other outlets. The CDC has warned people to avoid having small turtles for pets.