Salmonella Makes a Comeback Along with Baby Turtles

The Centers for Disease Control recently documented several cases of Salmonella associated with the sale of turtles from pet stores and souvenir shops in Wisconsin and Wyoming. You can read the gory details in the CDC report. In summary: testing done on 4 confirmed cases in Wisconsin showed a strong link to small turtles purchased from souvenir shops, and two cases in Wyoming were associated with turtles purchased from a pet store that had been previously warned about illegal turtle sales.

One part of the report I particularly found interesting was about the retailer in Wisconsin who was adamant that their turtles were Salmonella free and were being sold for "educational purposes." Despite warnings from the local health department, this retailer refused to stop selling baby turtles until an emergency order was obtained by public health, and a lab cultured Salmonella from their "Salmonella-free" turtles. Samples from six turtles were submitted for testing, I suppose in an attempt to prove their "Salmonella-free" status -- and all 6 tested positive for Salmonella. On the bright side, most retailers voluntarily stopped selling turtle hatchlings when made aware of the ban. Want to know more about turtles, sales of baby turtles, and Salmonella?
-Illegal Turtle Sales in the US
-Salmonella and Reptiles