CDC: Some salmonella outbreaks linked to reptiles, amphibians

(CNN) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning parents to keep small reptiles and amphibians like turtles, lizards and frogs away from small children.

The CDC says over 345 people have become ill in several ongoing, nationwide Salmonella outbreaks linked to small turtles.

Investigators from public health agencies across the United States examined an outbreak of the Salmonella strain from 2008 to 2011 and identified 376 cases of Salmonella in 44 states to use in a matched case-control study.

The control group was made up of people with recent Salmonella infections other than the outbreak strain, and the cases group included people with the outbreak strain infection.

About 70-percent of those infected were children younger than 10 years old.

The investigators concluded the majority of children got sick from indirect exposure to these animals, such as handling aquarium water.