Salmonella

Salmonella is a very common disease in pet turtles. It is particularly troublesome because it can easily be transferred to humans. Children are at risk in particular because they generally do not have the same hygienic habits of adults. If your child does have a pet turtle pay particular attention to the way they handle it and make absolute sure that they wash their hands and any parts of their body that came into contact with the turtle or the turtles’ habitat. They should also avoid any contact with their face at all times.

Turtles that are kept in the wild are much more resilient to salmonella because they are and have historically been continually exposed to sewage and waste which contained viruses and parasites. This allowed wild turtles to build up a resistance to diseases such as salmonella.