When we think of salmonella, we usually associate it with chicken, vegetables, or even spices. But now a nationwide salmonella outbreak has sickened or hospitalized over 70 people because of—believe it or not—pet turtles.

Yes, the kind of turtles you can buy at pet stores, roadside stands, or online. It might be a good coffee break conversation piece, but it’s actually so serious that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent out a warning to the media over the weekend.

This outbreak affects young children, mostly under the age of five. And when it comes to salmonella, that’s a dangerous age because children that young have weakened immune systems and are more likely to become seriously ill.

Symptoms to watch out for

After exposure to Salmonella, most people develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps within six hours to six days. Then the illness lasts for another four to seven days. Fortunately, most people recover without treatment, but in some people the illness can be so severe that the patient must be hospitalized.

However, the CDC recommends that you contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these severe salmonella symptoms:

• Diarrhea and fever over 39 °C

• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that does not improve

• Bloody diarrhea

• Vomiting so much that you cannot keep down any fluids

• Signs of dehydration such as:

• Don’t pee much

• Dry mouth and throat

• Dizziness when standing up

If you really want a turtle

Okay, turtles Are cute. But a federal law prohibits the sale and distribution of turtles with shells less than 4 inches long as pets because they cause many diseases, not just salmonella.

Even healthy turtles can carry salmonella in their feces. Their bodies, the water in the aquarium, and other objects in their living and moving area can easily become infected with these germs. You can get sick if you touch a turtle or something in their environment and then touch your mouth or food with unwashed hands and swallow salmonella.

If you – or your child – absolutely must have a turtle or the world will end, the CDC recommends the following precautions:

• Only buy turtles with shells longer than 10 cm and buy them from a reputable pet store.

• Choose the right pet for your family

• Turtles are not recommended as pets for children under five years of age, adults over 65, or people with weakened immune systems. These people are more likely to develop serious illnesses caused by germs that turtles can transmit.

If you purchase a turtle and then realize it’s not a good fit for your family, contact your local reptile rescue, animal shelter, or pet store to learn about options for safely rehoming your turtle. But whatever you do, don’t release your turtle outdoors. If you do, you risk getting into trouble with the law, as it’s illegal in certain states.

Gary Guthriereporter

Gary’s primary topics for the ConsumerAffairs news team are travel and technology, including the hearing aid industry. (He himself has been a hearing aid wearer for over 15 years.) Prior to joining ConsumerAffairs, he was a program consultant for radio and television stations in approximately 20 markets across the U.S., and a presentation developer for companies such as Jack Daniel’s, Procter & Gamble, AT&T, and Columbia University.

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