CDC Warning: 216 Sickened by Salmonella From Aquarium Frogs

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is warning consumers to be careful handling African dwarf frogs and the aquariums in which they live after the aquatic pets were linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 216 people in 41 states.

African dwarf frogs live completely in water and are sold in stores nationwide for aquariums; they are also sometimes given away as carnival prizes. Frogs and other amphibians are known carriers of salmonella bacteria, which can cause potentially serious infections in the very young, the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. Even normally healthy people sickened with salmonella can suffer from diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

Since the aquarium frogs usually live at the bottom of their habitat, the CDC said the most likely source for those sickened with the salmonella typhimurium bacterium was the aquarium water itself. This particular strain of salmonella is one of the most common in the United States, and the agency has been tracking this outbreak since 2009.