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http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/states/wisconsin/9340329.htm?1c

States probe illegal sales of pet turtles

Salmonella risk led to ban in the 1970s
Posted on Sat, Aug. 07, 2004
Published in St.Paul Pioneer Press 8/7/04

BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE

Ap Medical Writer

MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin and several other states are moving to stop a recent surge in the illegal sale of pet turtles, banned since the 1970s because of the risk of serious salmonella infections they pose, especially to young children.

The turtles, most often a variety called red-eared sliders, have turned up in recent months at malls and gift shops in popular vacation spots in Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas, South Carolina and Texas.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokesman Brad Stone said the agency was looking into the matter. In December, the agency warned against sales of baby turtles that were occurring in a Houston mall.

Wisconsin officials said Friday they had taken action against shops in a half dozen locations around the state and were working with federal officials to find the distributors, who are believed to be from several southern states.

Turtles were being sold in Oneida, Vilas, Sawyer and Columbia counties, including four or five stores in the Wisconsin Dells area.

"We think it could be in more than four counties," said state epidemiologist Dr. Jeffrey Davis.

The problem came to light after a 4-year-old Kansas girl was sickened with salmonella bacteria that officials think she got from three turtles her mother bought while recently vacationing in Wisconsin.

As many as 250,000 reptile-related salmonella infection cases occurred each year in the United States until the FDA banned selling turtles with shells shorter than 4 inches in 1975. Salmonella infection causes fever, diarrhea, cramps and vomiting, and can lead to miscarriages and bloodstream infections that occasionally prove fatal, especially to infants and the elderly.

Snakes, iguanas and other reptiles also cause such infections. About 80,000 cases are reported each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Victims often haven't even had direct contact with the animal — infections can spread through carpet droppings, contact with adults who handled the pet or by babies or dishes washed in the same sink as an animal's dish was.

The CDC recommends people don't keep reptiles as pets in homes with children under 1 year of age, and children under 5 and people with weak immune systems avoid contact with them.

In Wisconsin, some stores were trying to skirt the ban on sales by giving free turtles to customers who bought a tank and food.

"The FDA regulation is very clear that you can neither sell nor distribute, so the giveaways are also in violation," said James Kazmierczak, the state's public health veterinarian.

Most Wisconsin stores had complied with health officials' requests to destroy the turtles humanely and to stop selling them, but one was resisting and was being threatened with citations for each day the violations continue, Kazmierczak said.

ON THE NET

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov

Reptile-associated salmonellosis: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov /dph—bcd/communicable/factsheets/ReptileSal mo.htm

Reptiles do not always have slamonella. They usually get it from UNLEAN AND IMPROPER HOUSING, which makes them sick, and it is not the turtles fault, most of those turtles will all die within a month b/c they are all improperly cared for! People can be so cruel. All those poor turtles. I live in Houston and know which mall they are talking about. All of the turtles were confiscated and given to friends of mine who do turtle rescue. They have been trying to adopt them out. But when people find out how expensive it is to properly care for them, they don't want them. They still have quite a few of those turtles.

WISCONSIN DELLS EVENTS (Wisconsin) 09 August 04 Turtle giveaways continue (Erica Dimka)
A Columbia County Health and Human Services Department order to Souvenir City to stop giving away baby turtles has been retracted pending culture testing of the turtles, according to Souvenir City owner Michael Maleh.
The Health Department was unable to confirm the retraction by presstime.
Maleh told the Events he is having a UW Hospital doctor do the testing to determine if the turtles are a human health hazard.
Selling turtles smaller than four inches is prohibited by the FDA to control communicable diseases. The CDC estimates that 70,000 people in the U.S. get salmonella poisoning each year from contact with reptiles including turtles that carry the bacteria in its intestinal tract.
Last week, Wisconsin Dells police ordered Souvenir City and Dells Discount Stores to stop a promotion that gave turtles away with the purchase of a turtle kit. Dells Discount Stores complied with that order.
Maleh though is continuing to sell the turtles as he feels the order should come from the FDA, he told the Events.
Barb Salna, Columbia County Health and Human Services public health nurse, ordered Maleh Tuesday that he had two days to stop distributing the turtles, according to the police report.
Maleh said his promotion falls under an FDA exemption that allows the sale or distribution of turtles for "bona fide scientific, education or exhibitional purposes."
"I feel very strongly that I fell under the (exemption)," Maleh said, adding he will continue to distribute the turtles "unless they can prove I don't."
The store hands out information about the turtles, the risks and how to care for them to every customer, Maleh said. In addition, the customers are required to sign an affidavit of ownership that the turtle will be used for educational purposes and that they understand the FDA law. He also said that the FDA law is "poorly written" as it does not clearly define what is meant by educational purposes.
Maleh said he did research on turtles before the promotion started in May. To reduce risk to customers, employees and himself, he bought salmonella-free turtles, although he acknowledged that turtles can adopt salmonella at any time.
Police originally ordered the stores to stop the promotion in response to complaints received by the department and the Columbia County Humane Society. DNR Warden Mike Green said he also investigated complaints that the turtles were native painted turtles, the selling of which is prohibited by Wisconsin law. As the turtles were red-eared sliders, which is not prohibited, that was "pretty much all (he) can do."
Green said he also received calls from around the state from people who obtained turtles in Wisconsin Dells and didn't know what to do with them once they got the turtles home.
Turtle giveaways continue

re:The CDC recommends people don't keep reptiles as pets in homes with children under 1 year of age, and children under 5 and people with weak immune systems avoid contact with them.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

I had my ball python when my kiddo was a baby! hahaah

he seems fine to me.