TAMPA TRIBUNE (Florida) 16 December 05 Illness Puts Tiny Turtles In Spotlight (Steven Isbitts)
Tampa : Tiny web-footed pet turtles, known to stand in a child's palm and snack on romaine lettuce, have the attention of federal authorities and local health department officials.
But it's not because the deft swimmers are fun to watch.
The number of businesses selling turtles illegally surged in Florida this year, said Stewart Watson, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration spokesman.
Local epidemiologists say more pet turtles interacting with people could have sparked a recent increase in salmonellosis, a bacterial illness that can cause diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and death.
About 270 cases of salmonellosis have been reported in Hillsborough County this year, up more than 22 percent from 2004. At least 16 cases this year might have a connection to reptiles such as turtles and snakes, said Jyl Marie Kintz, Hillsborough's epidemiology manager.
"Reptiles are not necessarily the cause, but exposure is a risk," Kintz said.
"We have detailed investigative information on [about two-thirds] of all cases. So there could be more [infected people] that had reptile exposure."
A 1975 federal law prohibits the sale of turtles for use as pets if the turtle has a shell length of less than 4 inches. Exceptions include sales for use in "scientific, educational, or exhibitional purposes."
Part of the rationale for prohibiting the smaller turtles as pets is that they are easy for young children to handle and even put in their mouth, said Maria Donnelly, a Pinellas County Health Department epidemiologist.
Exceptions to the sales law, though, were exploited by many Florida businesses this year, Watson said, notably new kiosks at shopping malls and flea markets that sell hatchlings, cages and accessories.
"Vendors telling parents that a pet turtle is educational does not qualify as selling it for an educational purpose," Watson said.
In August, the FDA sent letters to Florida mall owners to apprise them of their potential liability should a mall vendor illegally sell a turtle that makes someone sick, Watson said.
It seems many mall operators and businesses got the FDA's message.
Turtle kiosks at Westfield Shoppingtown malls in Brandon, Citrus Park and Clearwater were among many in Florida that closed during the past two months. Those businesses also sold other reptiles, frogs and small pets.
"Those operators just all changed merchandise to different products, but there was no companywide order for them to shut down," said Taylor Clifton, a Westfield spokeswoman.
Two salmonellosis cases possibly linked to turtles in the past two months prompted the Pinellas County Health Department to issue a warning about the illness last week. Young children were infected in both instances, Donnelly said, and both have recovered.
Pinellas also had a significant increase in salmonellosis cases this year, up about 20 percent through November.
Tiny pet turtles are not necessarily the cause of the increase, Donnelly said, but the popularity of turtle vendors upset health department staff.
"Our nurses saw the stands in the malls and the way the vendors were selling the animals to anyone," Donnelly said.
"Plus there are vendors on the side of the highway.
"It caught our attention."
In Pinellas, some roadside turtle vendors work out of colorful green vans on U.S. 19. They primarily sell turtles with shells less than 4 inches long. Posted in plain view of customers are exceptions to the turtle sales statute.
Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, said the businesses are legitimate and regularly pass inspection. They also have many detractors, Morse said.
"We get complaints all the time about them from concerned citizens worried about salmonella and about how they're selling and caring for the turtles," Morse said.
Donnelly wants everyone to realize that nearly all pets, not only reptiles, can transmit salmonella. Cases linked to dogs and cats are rare, Donnelly said. However, two recent Pinellas cases, a mother and her 2-year-old who required hospitalization, were linked to a pet cat.
"Hand washing is critical after contact with any animal," Donnelly said.
In local pet shops, turtles are not as popular as they were years ago, employees at many stores said. Some shops don't sell them.
Petland on West Waters Avenue has a small supply of young musk turtles, but store manager Ben Chappell said they are only sold to customers who are researchers or educators who plan to use them as classroom pets.
Ball pythons and lizards are Petland's hot-selling reptiles.
"The turtles," Chappell said. "There's just too much fear of salmonella."
Salmonellosis: Salmonellosis is an infection from salmonella bacteria.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.
Infection can spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and cause death unless the person promptly is treated with antibiotics.
The elderly, infants and people with impaired immune systems are most likely to have a severe case.
About 40,000 cases are reported annually in the United States. About 600 are fatal. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the annual number of infections might exceed 1 million.
Prevention
• Cook poultry, ground beef and eggs thoroughly.
•Do not consume raw eggs or unpasteurized milk.
•Wash hands, kitchen work surfaces and utensils with soap and water immediately after contact with raw meat or poultry.
•Elderly, infants and immunocompromised people should avoid direct or indirect contact with reptiles (turtles, iguanas, other lizards, snakes).
•Wash hands with soap after handling reptiles or birds or after contact with pet feces.
•Mother's milk is the safest food for infants. Breastfeeding avoids salmonellosis and other health problems.
Source: National Center for Infectious Diseases
Reported Cases
Pinellas County
2004 - 170
2005 - 183 through Nov. 30
Hillsborough County
2004 - 220
2005 - 269 through Dec. 9
Illness Puts Tiny Turtles In Spotlight