Reptile firm in Florida convicted for selling turtles
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Turtles do not make good pets. The best people to attest to it would be Julie and William Godwin, the parents of three-week-old Shanna Godwin, who was killed in Feb. 2007 by Salmonella Pomona from a pet turtle in their home. To combat the public health impact of turtle-associated salmonellosis, in 1975 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned commercial distribution of turtles less than 4 inches in length.
It has been estimated that the FDA ban prevents some 100,000 cases of salmonellosis among children each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis in humans during 2006-2007, and the report concludes that the ban "likely remains the most effective public health action to prevent turtle-associated salmonellosis."
This week Strictly Reptile Inc. in Southern Florida was convicted for violating the ban on the sale of turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches.
At least 103 cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis have been reported since May 2007, and many of those infected were children under the age of 10, the CDC said. This makes it quite evident that turtles are still problem pets
in people’s homes.
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To say that turtles do not make good pets is kinda like saying tomatoes aren't a good fruit. Yes, unfortunately, some people mostly kids, will get sick from coming into contact with turtles (and other reptiles) infected with salmonella. With proper hand washing and adult supervision these numbers can be reduced, kinda like washing your produce and thoroughly cooking meats. Now, maybe I am a little biased as the proud mother of 4 snakes and an iguana, but I know better than to put them in my mouth or to eat after cleaning up their poop and not properly washing my hands. I will agree they are not animals that should be kept by everyone, but then I also don't think everyone should be allowed to produce children. It is tragic that a three week old died of a salmonella infection. Did the parents allow the infant to "play" with the turtle? Three week olds don't do much but eat, sleep, poop, and cry. Playing isn't really on their itinerary yet. Or was it poor parent hygeine?
Turtles make great pets in the right house hold. Keep in mind, the CDC says that dogs bite 800,000 people in the US annually, half of them children. With those numbers, dogs don't make good pets. 103 turtle related illnesses doesn't seem nearly as serious when compared to these numbers. Before dog lovers go off I'm also the mom of 3 dogs and 2 cats. I'm just making a comparison. A blanket statement just can't be made that they don't make good pets. I still eat raw tomatoes and jalapenos. Mmmmm.
Shelia –
I have full confidence in your cleaning methods in order to decontaminated areas that your snakes and iguana has been in. The idea I was getting at when I said that turtles don’t make good pets is that children are notoriously bad about washing their hands. If they’re handling a pet that is quite likely to be contaminated with Salmonella on every part of their body, they are bound to become infected. Kids just never wash their hands good enough.
U.S. News and World Report reported the following in an article about turtle-related Salmonella: “’The infection is spread from contact with the turtles, but the contact doesn't have to be direct, Harris said. ‘We have one case where a baby was bathed in a sink that turtle waste was disposed in,’ she said.”
(http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080124/pet-turtles-linked-to-rise-in-isalmonellai-infections.htm)
Hence how children, even infants, can become infected. Thanks for the comment.