The natural state of these turtles is usually prone to Salmonella bacterium on their shells and outer skin, which can cause humans who handle them to become infected.
The recent case of the death of a four-week-old infant in Florida was traced to Salmonella poisoning matching that from the pet turtle at their home.
This type of bacteria is the same as that causing many foodborne illnesses resulting in severe health effects and even deaths.
This case has caused the FDA to issue an updated news release to remind parents and the public at large to be aware of the unseen dangers involved with owning these turtles as pets.
These turtles are only legal for sale if their shell is more than four inches in length.
Children can easily contract this poisoning from direct contact with turtles in petting zoos and other locations in which the turtles can be found roaming the ground, such as the local parks. The pet turtle's water bowl can easily become contaminated with the turtle's feces, which in turn may also infect the human who has contact with it, also causing the Salmonella poisoning.
Thorough washing of the hands with soap and water is necessary to avoid infection after contact.
According to the FDA, pet turtles in the early 1970s caused an estimated 280,000 cases of human salmonellosis infections per year in the U.S.
By 1975, the FDA finally banned the sale of any turtles whose shells were less than four inches in length to protect the public's health.
The FDA repeats and emphasizes its warnings of the risks caused by contact with turtles, especially because the sales have increased within the last four years.
The latest recorded statistics now indicate that there are still an estimated 74,000 cases of human salmonellosis infections per year in the U.S., despite these reissued warnings, according to the FDA.
