Resist the urge to own a turtle. They may be cute but they’re contaminated. All of them naturally carry Salmonella.

Shell shock: Handling turtles exposes you to a Salmonella infection.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS PA—In a way, it’s fitting that folks have been slow to realize the dangers associated with handling pet turtles, the universal symbol for pokiness. But it’s risky, too. A study published this week in the medical journal Pediatrics found that although small pet turtles have been banned for sale since 1975 by the FDA to reduce animal-associated Salmonella infections, they are still being sold—and turtle-associated salmonellosis rates appear to be on the rise once again.

THE DETAILS: Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta looked at a large outbreak of Salmonella infections occurring between May 2007 and January 2008 and involving 34 states and 107 people. All the victims were interviewed and asked about their exposure to turtles, both direct (i.e., touching a pet turtle) and indirect (such as touching a surface also contacted by a turtle). The media age of the victims was 7 years old, and fully 60 percent reported exposure to turtles during the week before their illness. The vast majority of those turtles were under 4 inches in length—the size turtle banned by the FDA. Conclude the researchers: “Small turtles continue to be sold and continue to pose a health risk.”