Exposure to Nontraditional Pets at Home and to Animals in Public Settings: Risks to Children

Abstract

Exposure to animals can provide many benefits during the growth and development of children. However, there are potential risks associated with animal exposures, including exposure to nontraditional pets in the home and animals in public settings. Educational materials, regulations, and guidelines have been developed to minimize these risks. Pediatricians, veterinarians, and other health care professionals can provide advice on selection of appropriate pets as well as prevention of disease transmission from nontraditional pets and when children contact animals in public settings. Pediatrics 2008;122:876-886

Reducing the risk of pet-associated zoonotic infections

“…2,3 Pet ownership, and the species involved, in households with immunocompro-mised children and children aged less than 5 years are similar to households with immunocompetent children. 2,3 Recommendations for animal ownership and contact have been published for patients in highrisk groups, 5,8,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and additional guidelines are Box 3: Suggestions for reducing transmission of zoonotic pathogens from pets to patients at high risk…”

Importance of Wild Species Kept in Captivity as Reservoirs of Salmonella Serotypes for Human in Petting Exhibitions and Zoo in Iran with Focus on Antimicrobial Resistance

“…Salmonella serovars may be passed in animal feces and transmitted to humans through fecal-oral contact due to poor hygienic practices, attraction to or curiosity about animals like petting and wild species kept in zoos. Usually, infants and children are at the greatest risk of acquiring zoonotic pathogens from animals (40)(41)(42). In many cases, the transmission of zoonotic agents and antimicrobial resistance from nonhuman species to humans are preventable through improved hygiene and surveillance by strict monitoring programs in petting exhibitions and zoo environment.…”

Household pets and zoonoses

“…Children younger than 5 years of age, immunocompromised individuals (Bren 2004;Broughton et al 2008;Pickering et al 2008;Reaser et al 2008Reaser et al , 2009Aiken et al 2010;Bender 2010;Younus et al 2010;Lawaczack et al 2011), the elderly (Bren 2004;Bender 2010), and pregnant women (Bren 2004) have been identified as being at the greatest risks of acquiring zoonotic diseases. This was particularly notable for children exposed to reptiles (Bren 2004;Rabinowitz et al 2007) and baby chicks (Bren 2004).…”

“…Physicians, veterinarians, and public health care professionals are uniquely positioned to educate and discuss measures on how to prevent disease and promote health (Pickering et al 2008;Weese and Fulford 2011). Currently, physicians and healthcare workers do not routinely screen for pet ownership or contact during a communicable disease investigation.…”

“…Inadequate understanding among daycare staff, school teachers, and health care practitioners pertaining to the screening and safe handling of pets and the risks of disease transmission is also an identified knowledge gap (Croft et al 2007;Pickering et al 2008;Fritz 2009;Little 2010;Younus et al 2010). Healthcare practitioners should be encouraged to provide a greater level of information and education to their patients given the lack of awareness of zoonoses associated with pets among the greater public.…”