Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new report tracing a recent outbreak of Salmonella to the illegal sale of tiny pet turtles. Since May, at least 47 people across the country have become ill after handling turtles. Children had to be hospitalized with symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, and vomiting.
It’s a sobering confirmation of the importance of the longstanding ban on selling turtles with shells less than four inches long. We can only imagine how much worse the situation would be for public health and animal welfare if the sale of these small turtles was actually legal.
Although most reptiles carry Salmonella, turtles perhaps pose the greatest risk. Animals like snakes and iguanas pose an obvious threat of biting or scratching, but turtles are more likely to be perceived as safe and given by parents to their children. The turtles are also small enough for children to handle them, kiss them, and even put them directly into their mouths.
The media and the health community reacted strongly to the new CDC report. The Los Angeles Times noted that Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Los Angeles County’s public health director, had a simple piece of advice for parents thinking about buying a pet turtle: “Don’t.”
Consumer restraint, however, is not enough—we need strong public policies, too. Federal health regulations have prohibited selling small turtles in the United States since 1975, and the CDC reports that this measure prevented 100,000 children from contracting Salmonella in the first year alone. Yet, illegal sales still occur, with tragic consequences. A four-week-old Florida girl died last year from Salmonella exposure after a pet turtle was purchased at a flea market and given as a gift to her family.
Despite these dire warnings, some in Congress are attempting to roll back the prohibition on selling small turtles. The Senate version of the Farm Bill includes language that could allow the sale of these tiny creatures for the first time in more than 30 years. The turtle language was not included in the House version of the Farm Bill, and it should be dropped in conference just as similar language was dropped from the Food and Drug Administration reauthorization bill last year.
Turtle sellers talk about Salmonella-free turtles but the CDC says “no reliable methods are available to guarantee that a turtle is free of Salmonella.” According to the CDC, “Prohibiting the sale and distribution of small turtles likely remains the most effective public health action to prevent turtle-associated salmonellosis.”
The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, opposing the turtle language in the Farm Bill, had this to say: “There is no doubt in the minds of hundreds of public health experts in our associations that allowing small turtle sales will cause a repeat of the high levels of salmonellosis seen in children prior to the ban.”
There also is no doubt that turtles suffer in the pet trade. Although they are marketed as low-maintenance pets, turtles have complex needs that are difficult to meet. Countless turtles die due to poor shipping methods and inadequate care. If they survive they can outgrow their tanks and their welcome. Turtles released from the pet trade have displaced native species in multiple states.
The prohibition on small turtle sales literally saves children’s lives and protects animals from harsh treatment. It represents three decades of good public policy and should not be changed. Please ask your legislators to keep the longstanding ban. And if you see illegal turtle sales at a pet store or flea market, report them to the FDA’s consumer complaint coordinators so they can investigate this violation of the law.
