ABSTRACT
Turtle-associated salmonellosis (TAS) in humans has been a concern of public health officials since the 1960's. The rising incidence of TAS in young children during the late 1960's and early 1970's eventually led to the implementation of inter- and intrastate regulations on the sale of chelonians less than 10.2-cm in total length in the United States of America. Although attempts to eliminate Salmonella spp. in chelonians using antibiotics have been made, they have not been successful in reducing prevalence to levels that would reverse current regulations. Baquacil® is a commercial algistat and microbicide. Fifty-five red-eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta elegans, were used to evaluate the efficacy of Baquacil® as a method to suppress Salmonella sp. in the sliders habitat. The sliders were maintained individually in plastic containers that contained either chlorinated tap water, dechlorinated tap water and 25 ppm Baquacil®, or dechlorinated tap water and 50 ppm Baquacil®. Water samples were collected from each slider container three times per week for one month and cultured for Salmonella sp. Water samples collected from the sliders housed in Baquacil® were less likely to be Salmonella-positive than those in the control group (p<0.001). There was no difference in the Salmonella status of the water samples between the 25 and 50 ppm treatment groups. At the conclusion of the study, the intestinal tracts of the sliders were cultured for Salmonella sp. There was no difference in the Salmonella status of the intestinal cultures collected from any of the sliders at necropsy (p=0.8). No pathological lesions were found to be associated with swimming the sliders in 50 ppm Baquacil® for one month. Baquacil® may be used to suppress Salmonella sp. in the water column of sliders.
