Children who have pet turtles should wash their hands more often to avoid salmonella infection transmitted by the animals, a doctor said on Friday.
Citing two cases involving six-year-old children, Taichung Hospital Department of Pediatrics director Chen Min-kung (陳敏恭) said that he treated both for fever, stomachache and diarrhea due to salmonella infection.
A boy surnamed Kuo (郭) was last month hospitalized after experiencing diarrhea up to eight times per day, and a girl surnamed Hsu (徐) was hospitalized after experiencing diarrhea, a cough and low urine output, he said.
Their symptoms eased after treatment, but persisted, and they also had green stool, Chen said.
While inquiring into the sources of infection, Chen learned that they both recently started keeping a pet turtle, he said.
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