CDC: More Salmonella Cases Traced to Turtles

By News Desk | October 20, 2012 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that 219 residents of 34 states had become ill with one of 3 outbreak strains of Salmonella in an outbreak traced to tiny turtles.  The outbreak strains are Salmonella Sandiego, Salmonella Pomona and Salmonella Poona. Small turtles are a well-known source of human Salmonella infections, especially among young children. The Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale and distribution of tiny turtles–turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches–since 1975. According to the CDC, 36 Salmonella case-patients have been hospitalized.  Sixty-six percent of Salmonella case-patients are children 10 years of age or younger, and 49% are persons of Hispanic ethnicity. © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks » Tags: Salmonella outbreak, turtles