weve had our leopard tortoise for about 3 wks and have tried to keep an eye on our 2 youngest children. made sure that there hands were washed when we saw them touch it(although they have been told not to touch it). well needless to say our youngest became sick. we took him to the hospital and told them about having a new tortoise. we are both in the medical field. they brushed us off saying it was a viral infection. the next night he was throwing up and running a 103 degree fever. took him to a different hospital. they were gonna discharge him with the same diagnosis until i voiced my concern with the dr. he took a stool sample and had it tested. a few days later i got a call from the dept of health. i was right. he had salmonella. we have put a hasp lock very high on our bedroom door where the kids cant reach. our door had a lock on the handle but they learned how to break in. do all tortoises regardless of age carry salmonella? we want to get another one but am hesitant to do so after that scare.
salmonella poisoning
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I think all reptiles carry it, I know torts and iguanas do, I am not sure on snakes or other lizards.
Make sure you just clean really well with a 10% bleach solution on indoor enclosures.
Also, there are other ways of getting it. Have your animals fecal tested if you want, you should be able to tell you if its a differant strain. Look at your kids diet as well, do they eat alot of raw foods?
Make sure you just clean really well with a 10% bleach solution on indoor enclosures.
Also, there are other ways of getting it. Have your animals fecal tested if you want, you should be able to tell you if its a differant strain. Look at your kids diet as well, do they eat alot of raw foods?
From what I understand just about anything can carry salmonella, I think I even read somewhere that you are just as likely to get it from your kitchen counter as you are from your tortoise. I would think you cant even be sure he got it from the tortoise, it could have been from anywhere.
eggs, chicken, money just about everything can carry it, remember kids will touch stuff them put their hands in their mout without washing, it couldn't hurt to find out if you tortoise carry it, just to be extra careful.
While it IS possible that they got it from your tortoise it is very unlikely. They would have to handle items or material contaminated with feces and then put their hands in their mouths.
Its much more likely that it came from food or some other source somewhere. Some brands of chicken have a 60% or higher rate of salmonella. 40% is the norm. I read a whole article on this in Readers digest a few months ago. I would have a culture done of your torts feces and the salmonella from your boy to see if its the same strain or not too. We could all learn something from your misfortune. If it was from your tort, I better be a lot more careful.
Its much more likely that it came from food or some other source somewhere. Some brands of chicken have a 60% or higher rate of salmonella. 40% is the norm. I read a whole article on this in Readers digest a few months ago. I would have a culture done of your torts feces and the salmonella from your boy to see if its the same strain or not too. We could all learn something from your misfortune. If it was from your tort, I better be a lot more careful.
It appears that many people on the forum have reptiles and kids. Has anyone else had issues with Salmonella? I have 3 kids, the youngest of which is 5 months. My older children do not handle our Leopard Tortoise but I do every day. I am very consciencious of cross contamination. I always wash my hands after I handle anything in her enclosure. Sometimes i will even change my shirt. In addition I take her food dish directly from her pen and put it into the dishwasher. Are there any other precautions I could be taking? I was of the understanding that although Salmonella is a risk it is very rare.
I always use a Hand sanitizer after touching Shelby or the stuff in her table i have a small bottle next to the table and also have liquid soap hand sanitizer next to the sink upstairs and down, everyone as been told to use these, even though i do not know if they all carry Salmonella or if only some do i do not chance it.
I am so sorry to hear about your child, must have been very scary! Glad the Dr. finally listened to you!
thank u to all that responded. as i said we are both in the medical field and understand how salmonella can be spread and the precautions that should be taken to avoid this. i am however gonna have the feces tested against his to see if they match. i was trying to let others know that this can happen no matter how closely you monitor children.
jay33pa said:
No.
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Dogs and cats can carry salmonella, as well. Especially, (sorry for the gross information) if they are known poop eaters. Greyhounds are notorious poop eaters, and can carry salmonella.
jay33pa said:
Please let us know what you find out when they type the salmonella and hope your little one's get well quickly.
Doc
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Well I had wild box turtles as kid. I never washed my hands after hold them. I never had salmonella. I now have two red foots and still I’m not worry about salmonella. I believe it is the people that waste there hands and use bleach that get sick. Yes i clean and my house is clean and so our my pets. But I do not worry about if i will or will not get sick. I’m not saying your wrong about how you clean or live. You get sick so you move on. Also as other people said it could other things. You should not go around blaming your trot because you don’t know. And if your that worried if your kid is going to get sick you think about find a loving home for him that loves and respects animals and trots.
Whoa there Wildponey21, taking simple precautions so that our children do not end up profusely vomiting and having diarrhea and running a serious risk of dehydration from the two, does not mean that we do not love our tortoises. I have never heard of contracting a virus from hand soap. As a parent and lover of all creatures I do whatever I can to keep all of my family (shelled, furry or humanoid) as healthy as possible.
wildponey21 said:
Unfortunately, I think this post speaks volumes.
Wash your hands! and instruct your children to do the same!
regarding hand washing I can only speak from personal experience, I have had turtles since eight years old, when I was younger I almost never washed my hands, and I got sick a lot like 4 to 6 times a year as I got older I washed my hands more often and I got sick less, as an adult I wash my hands after handling my tort and turtles every time I handle them and nowadays I almost never get sick, coincidence? I don't know but I feel safer washing my hands, my 2 cents.
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I wash my hands before i cook and afther i use the bathroom as for kids i don't have them don't want them and flat i hate kids. I also wash my hand at work i work for vet. So yes i know you have to clen but think of this i have been sick more this year than any other year.
wildponey21 said:
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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wildponey21 said:
If you do hate kids, may I be the first to thank you for not having any! Better you do not reproduce with that attitude.....
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