Pennsylvania
CDC investigating salmonella outbreak related to turtles in 21 states, including Pennsylvania
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently investigating an outbreak of salmonella across multiple states, including Pennsylvania.
According to the CDC, the outbreak is linked to small turtles with shells less than four inches long. They said that turtles with shells of that size are known sources of illness, although turtles of any size can carry salmonella germs.
While federal law bans the sale and distribution of turtles with shells less than four inches, they are still believed to be sold illegally online, in stores, at flea markets, and from roadside stands.
As of Friday, the CDC has reported 51 illnesses and 23 hospitalizations in 21 states, including two of those in Pennsylvania.
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, a high fever of 102°, vomiting, an inability to keep liquids down, and dehydration.
For turtle owners, it’s recommended to wash your hands right after touching, feeding the turtle, or touching or cleaning the area where the turtle lives. They also do not recommend kissing or snuggling a turtle as well as not eating or drinking around the turtle as the salmonella germs could spread to your mouth and make you sick.
They also are telling turtle owners that if they decide that turtles aren’t a good fit for them or their families, they should not just release the turtle outside. Call a local reptile rescue, animal shelter, or pet store and find ways to safely give up the turtle. Releasing the turtle outside can disrupt wildlife and could also be prohibited by law.
You can learn more about the outbreak and safety tips for turtle owners at this link.
Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania
What the war with Iran could mean for gas prices in western Pennsylvania
The war with Iran could start impacting your wallet as soon as today.
Jim Garrity from AAA East Central says oil prices are up.
“They’re hovering around $72. They were pretty consistently around $65, $66 for a while,” he said.
Nationally, AAA said the average for a gallon of regular sits at about $3, up approximately six cents from last week.
In Pennsylvania, it’s around $3.12 a gallon, and in the Pittsburgh region, it’s around $3.24 a gallon. That’s actually down about four cents from last week.
Garrity added that gas prices this time of year would already be increasing, usually because of higher demand for the warmer months and the production of the summer blend of gas used for those months.
The impacts of what’s happening in Iran may not be immediate, which could be part of why our region and the state overall have not seen a spike yet, he said.
“It could be a couple of days later. It could be up to a week later,” Garrity said.
A lot of people are watching what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders it to the north, and 20% of the world’s oil goes through it.
Iran is one of the world’s biggest oil producers, and China gets a lot of that oil.
“If there is an impact there, you could see oil start to come in from other parts of the world, which has a downstream effect on [the United States],” Garrity said.
One way you can save on gas if prices increase in our area is by slowing down.
“When you drive faster every five miles, over 50 miles an hour, your fuel efficiency is going down,” Garrity said. “You’re making the car work harder, making the gasoline consumption less effective.”
Garrity added that in 2022, when our area and many others saw some of the highest gas prices ever recorded, people changed their driving habits.
“We saw people make seemingly permanent changes to their driving behaviors, driving less in general, consolidating trips,” he said.
Pennsylvania
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