turtle germs
Posted by barbie runyon on April 30, 2006
Q: i recently got a turtle for my children.i was wandering if you can tell me about the germs they have.someone just informed me that they carry a deadly parasite.
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Florida
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: Some years back there was a big scare about Salmonella when it was discovered that many pet turtles did have the bacteria on their bodies. This is a bacteria that is often found on reptiles, especially turtles, and can cause sickness in humans. It probably goes without saying that it's always a good idea to wash ones hands after handling animals just to be on the safe side. If your children are too small to understand about keeping their hands out of their mouthes when around your turtle, I'd restrict their contact with the turtle until they're older. Hope this helps.
John Wiessinger ( May 1, 2006)