Media Relations

Contact with reptiles (such as turtles, snakes, and lizards) and amphibians (such as frogs and toads) can be a source of human Salmonella infections. Salmonella germs are shed in the droppings of reptiles and amphibians and can easily contaminate their bodies and the water in tanks or aquariums where these animals live, which can spread to people.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the sale and distribution of turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches since 1975. However, small turtles continue to cause human Salmonella infections, especially among young children.

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states and the FDA to investigate 8 overlapping, multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat). More than 370 illnesses have been reported from 41 states; 70 percent of ill persons are children age 10 or younger, and 33 percent of ill persons are children age one year or younger. Forty-four percent of ill persons are Hispanic.

Key Messages

• Don’t buy small turtles from street vendors, websites, pet stores, or other sources.
• Keep reptiles out of homes with young children or people with weakened immune systems.
• Reptiles should not be kept in child care centers, nursery schools, or other facilities with young children.

ALWAYS wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water immediately after touching a reptile or anything in the area where they live and roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. Adults should always supervise hand washing for young children.

“Since 1975, it has been illegal in the United States to sell or distribute small turtles with shells that measure less than 4 inches in length. This ban, enforced by the FDA , likely remains the most effective public health action to prevent Salmonella infections associated with turtles.”
-Casey Barton Behravesh DVM, DrPH, Deputy Branch Chief, Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

“Many people don't know that turtles and other reptiles can carry harmful germs that can make people very sick. For this reason, turtles and other reptiles might not be the best pets for your family, especially if there are children 5-years-old and younger or people with weakened immune systems living in your home.”
-Casey Barton Behravesh DVM, DrPH, Deputy Branch Chief, Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people from health threats to have a more secure nation. Whether these threats are chronic or acute, manmade or natural, human error or deliberate attack, global or domestic, CDC is the U.S. health protection agency.