The baby was rushed to a Florida emergency room suffering from septic shock and fever. She died on March 1 despite being treated with antibiotics. Tests later showed that the salmonella had ultimately killed her matched the same strain found on a turtle given to her by a family friend.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that 15 other children had become infected with similar strains and that 80 percent of them had contact with a turtle the week before.
Turtles and other reptiles have long been recognized as carriers of salmonella, and are known to cause fatal infections in humans. Small turtles are particularly harmful because they are often handled like toys and are not perceived as health hazards. Turtles often shed the bacteria in their feces and the water in their bowls is known to amplify the bacteria.
Turtles with shells less than 4 inches in length have been banned in the U.S. since 1975, but health officials state that all turtles should be handled as if they were infected with salmonella.
