Can you get an illness from a pet turtle?
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In Illinois, schools and daycares are legally not allowed to keep reptiles in classrooms because of the risk of Salmonella. Several outbreaks of Salmonella have been linked to reptiles in the relatively recent past.

That said, I would not agree with anyone who says the illness risk is so grave that you should not get or keep a reptile assuming you have a healthy immune system.

Keep your hands very clean and be conscious of handwashing whenever you handle your turtle or the water for the turtle and you should be OK - unless, of course, the disease argument is your parent's tactful way of saying no. In that case, you should accept the inevitable conclusion to the discussion :-)

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First answer by AlohaDawg. Last edit by AlohaDawg. Contributor trust: 130 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 20 [recommend question]

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