The CDC has released updated information about multistate outbreaks of Salmonella linked to small turtles. So far, 149 people in 28 states are infected with outbreak strains of four types of bacteria: Salmonella Sandiego, Salmonella Pomona, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Poona. We've told you about this outbreak in March 2012 and again in May 2012. In the last update, there were five outbreaks; now there are six. The case count is as follows: Alabama (2) Alaska (2) Arizona (5) California (26) Colorado (5) Delaware (3) Georgia (3) Illinois (1) Indiana (1) Kentucky (1) Massachusetts (3) Maryland (6) Michigan (2) Minnesota (1) New Jersey (7) New Mexico (4) New York (25) Nevada (6) North Carolina (1) Ohio (2) Oregon (1) Pennsylvania … [Read more...]
CDC Tracking 5 Overlapping Turtle Salmonella Outbreaks in 27 States
Five overlapping Salmonella outbreaks linked to human contact with small turtles have sickened at least 124 people in 27 states, prompting the continuation of a public health investigation that began last year. One of the outbreaks dates back to June 2011 and another to August 2011. Two new outbreaks have unfolded since early last month, sprouting new geographic distributions of Salmonella infections that are spreading in many cases from human contact with contaminated water in the turtles' environments. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 7 of 10 outbreak victims are children under the age of 10. In many cases the turtles are pets purchased from street vendors because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the sale and distribution of … [Read more...]
Small Turtles Cause Salmonella Outbreaks
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reporting three multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to small turtles. A total of 66 people have been infected with outbreak strains of Salmonella Sandiego, Salmonella Poona, and Salmonella Pomona in these states: Arizona (2) California (8) Georgia (1) Indiana (1) Kentucky (1) Massachusetts (3) Maryland (6) Michigan (1) North Carolina (1) New Jersey (6) New Mexico (3) New York (21) Pennsylvania (7) Texas (3) Virginia (1) Vermont (1) So far, eleven people have been hospitalized, but no one has died. And 55% of the victims are children 10 years of age or younger. These outbreaks are overlapping. The PulseNet system is being used to identify the cases that may be part of these outbreaks. … [Read more...]
