Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in pet turtles and their environment

Pet turtles are known as a source of infection to humans when handled in captivity. Thirty four turtles purchased from pet shops and online markets in Korea were examined to determine whether the turtles and their environment were contaminated with spp. spp. were isolated from fecal samples of 17 turtles. These isolates were identified as through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The isolation rate of spp. from the soil and water samples increased over time. We concluded that a high percentage of turtles being sold in pet shops were infected with spp., and their environments tend to become contaminated over time unless they are maintained properly. These results indicate that pet turtles could be a potential risk of salmonellosis in Korea.