Salmonella in turtles imported to Israel from Louisiana

To the Editor.— The article entitled "Turtle-Associated Salmonellosis in Puerto Rico" 1 led us to investigate the status of Salmonella in small green pet turtles, Pseudemys scripta-elgans in Israel. All of these turtles were legally imported into Israel and originated in Louisiana. Water (50 to 80 mL) from 32 aquariums containing these turtles was collected from pet shops and private households and examined for Salmonella at the Ministry of Health laboratories either in Beersheva or Jerusalem. All aquariums were sampled once. Of the 32, seven (22%) yielded Salmonella . One sample yielded two serotypes. All others yielded one serotype. There were six serotypes isolated, including Salmonella poona (three samples), Salmonella arizona, Salmonella blockley, Salmonella java, Salmo- nella schwarzengrund, and Salmonella thompson (one sample each). As a result of the article, which renewed our interest in this hazard to public health, the importation of these turtles into Israel has been temporarily banned.