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. 2021 Oct;16(4):286-288.
doi: 10.2185/jrm.2021-007. Epub 2021 Oct 1.

Turtle-associated salmonellosis due to Salmonella Litchfield in a 57-day-old infant: a case report

Hisao Okabe  1 , Hiromichi Murai  1 , Shunya Takano  1 , Shuto Kanno  1
Affiliations

Turtle-associated salmonellosis due to Salmonella Litchfield in a 57-day-old infant: a case report

Hisao Okabe et al. J Rural Med. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

A 57-day-old boy presented with fever, watery diarrhea, and anorexia and was admitted with suspected acute gastroenteritis. His laboratory data suggested low-level inflammation and cholestasis. His stool culture was positive for Salmonella Litchfield. With suspicion of bacterial infection, the patient received intravenous ampicillin for 5 days. On the fifth day after admission, his inflammatory and cholestasis markers normalized, and he was discharged from the hospital in good condition. His family kept five Japanese pond turtles as pets for one year. As Salmonella Litchfield was isolated from a swab sample of the turtle's body. The patient was diagnosed with turtle-associated salmonellosis. In conclusion, families, particularly those with infants, should avoid keeping turtles in their homes. Pet shop owners and public health authorities must provide appropriate information regarding Salmonella in turtles.

Keywords: Japanese pond turtle; Salmonella enterica; SalmonellaLitchfield; infant; turtle-associated salmonellosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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