Hold off on picking up any small turtles any time soon! Turtles are carriers of the nasty salmonella infection. And, the Montgomery County Health Department wants residents to be aware.
Although Mont. Co. hasn't seen any specific cases of the infection as of yet, the number of salmonella cases connected to pet turtles has more than tripled in the Philly area.
Salmonella has been a public health problem in the U.S. causing 15, 000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths.
Your best bet: Don't buy a pet turtle with a shell size smaller than 4 inches!
