Which statement is true about Salmonella and turtles?

Which statement is true about Salmonella and turtles?

• A. Salmonella are never found in turtles
• B. Salmonella are transmitted only by iguanas
• C. Salmonella are normal gut flora for turtles
• D. Salmonella cause turtles to go extinct

Answer: (C)

Salmonella can reside in the turtle’s gastrointestinal tract and be shed in feces even when the turtle looks healthy. This means turtles can carry and transmit Salmonella without showing disease themselves, making them a known reservoir for this bacteria. Humans can become infected through handling turtles or their environment, which is why this relationship is emphasized in public health guidance about reptiles. That’s why the true statement is that Salmonella are a normal part of the turtle gut flora. The other statements are not accurate: Salmonella are not absent from turtles, they aren’t transmitted only by iguanas, and Salmonella does not cause turtles to go extinct.

Salmonella can reside in the turtle’s gastrointestinal tract and be shed in feces even when the turtle looks healthy. This means turtles can carry and transmit Salmonella without showing disease themselves, making them a known reservoir for this bacteria. Humans can become infected through handling turtles or their environment, which is why this relationship is emphasized in public health guidance about reptiles. That’s why the true statement is that Salmonella are a normal part of the turtle gut flora. The other statements are not accurate: Salmonella are not absent from turtles, they aren’t transmitted only by iguanas, and Salmonella does not cause turtles to go extinct.