A Salmonella outbreak linked to pet turtles has more than doubled since it was first announced, with the CDC now counting 20 sick people in 12 states, including five who were hospitalized. The agency's Sept. 18 update added 12 new cases, six new states and two new hospitalizations, and half of everyone sickened is younger than 5.
The update shifts the question for families. The outbreak did not end with the early-summer cases first reported in August. Illnesses kept appearing into late summer, which means turtles already in homes, or planned as gifts, still carry the same risk.
