The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sounding the alarm over a recent uptick in outbreaks of turtle-related infections. Outbreaks in these infections largely involve kids.

Specifically, the wee, shelled reptiles sparked 15 multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections between 2006 and 2014. According to the CDC's report in this week's edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases, turtles caused a total of 921 illnesses, 156 hospitalizations, and the death of an infant. The median age of a those sickened in the 15 outbreaks was 10.

The agency noted that the outbreaks seem to be increasing since 2006, with eight in 2012 alone. And according to another recent CDC report, there were four additional multistate outbreaks between January 2015 and April 2016, sickening 133 people in 26 states. Forty-one percent of cases in those four outbreaks were kids under the age of five.

Salmonella bacteria naturally inhabit the intestines of healthy turtles and periodically get shed in turtles’ feces. Young turtle enthusiasts can get infected by forgetting to promptly wash their hands after playing with their turtle, as well as “kissing turtles, letting them roam on kitchen countertops and tabletops where food and drink was prepared or consumed, and cleaning turtle habitats in kitchen sinks.” Resulting infections can cause nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

A 1975 federal ban on selling turtles with a shell length smaller than four inches—the kind of turtles kids like to get up close and too comfortable with—is estimated to have prevented 100,000 cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis each year after its enactment, the CDC notes.

But, with an apparent rise in turtle-related illnesses, the health agency found that turtle owners seem less aware of Salmonella risks than they were in the past.

While the agency drums up awareness on turtle risks, it’s also good to keep in mind that turtles aren’t the only risks. Salmonella from turtles and other reptiles is just one of dozens of infections you can get from your loving pets. Cats, for instance, can shed Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that most often can infect without any symptoms and live in your body silently your whole life. For some, though, like children and the immunocompromised, the cat parasite can cause severe illness, including brain damage.

Dogs, on the other hand, may protect your health. A 2013 study found that dogs kick up more microbes in house dust and alter the microbiomes of their owners, possibly leading to a stronger immune system and fewer allergies.