Connect with us

Health

26 Sickened in Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Small Turtles, CDC Says

26 Sickened in Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Small Turtles, CDC Says

 


In recent years, health officials have warned those who have bearded dragons, hedgehogs, ducks and chickens as pets to do their part in preventing the spread of salmonella infections.

Now, an outbreak of salmonella cases across 11 states has been linked to small turtles, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue safety instructions for people who have the reptiles as pets.

A simple piece of advice from health officials: “Don’t kiss or snuggle your turtle.”

Twenty-six people have been sickened in the salmonella outbreak and at least nine people have been hospitalized in recent months, the C.D.C. said last week. No deaths have been reported, the agency said.

Although all turtles can carry salmonella germs that can make people sick, turtles with shells less than four inches long have been a known source of illness, the C.D.C. said. In 1975, the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of turtles less than four inches in length because of the thousands of cases of severe illness at the time, particularly among children who touched their pet turtles and then their food or mouth without washing.

Officials said this month that turtle owners and those seeking to buy one should keep a few pointers in mind: Do not buy turtles for children under 5 or adults over 65; wash your hands after touching a turtle; and do not drink or eat around your turtle.

About a third of the people who’ve gotten sick during the current outbreak have been under 5 years old, the C.D.C. said. Of the 20 infected people who provided information to the C.D.C., 16 said they’d had contact with pet turtles; 12 of those said the pet turtles had shells less than four inches long.

Salmonella, a type of bacteria, causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States every year, according to the C.D.C.

Most people with salmonellosis, the infection caused by salmonella, develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. More severe cases may lead to a high fever, aches, headaches, lethargy, a rash, blood in the urine or stool and, in some cases, become fatal.

Other salmonella outbreaks have been linked to animals and prompted similar warnings about getting too close to them: There was the hedgehog outbreak of 2019, when health officials advised people to refrain from kissing their small, spiky friends. There was the salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry in 2021. Officials at the time essentially said don’t kiss or snuggle your ducks and chickens. And similar salmonella warnings were issued in 2014 about bearded dragons.

In 2002, an Oklahoma man who caught a salmonella infection from his pet snake passed the illness to two people through transfusions of his blood platelets. Both recipients became ill, and one died, according to an article in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Even dog owners are not spared of the dangers of cuddling. Some bacteria in dogs’ mouths are zoonotic, meaning the animals can pass them to humans and cause disease, including salmonella.

There is potential trouble for feline lovers as well. The Cornell Feline Health Center reports that people can also contract salmonella from infected cats — especially those that feed on raw meat — which pass the bacteria in their stool. Wearing gloves when cleaning litter boxes is recommended, the center said.

Sources

1/ https://Google.com/

2/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/us/salmonella-outbreak-pet-turtles.html

The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos

ExBUlletin

to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]