LA JOLLA, CALIF. Parrots, baby chicks, and turtles may be endearing to young children, but exposure to such exotic and nontraditional pets in the home and in public settings puts children at risk for serious infectious diseases.
"When a child visits your office and has [Escherichia]coli 0157 or Campylobacter or Salmonella, a thorough history should be performed to determine whether or not he or she has been exposed to an animal in a public setting or whether [there are] some of these pets at home," Dr. Larry K. Pickering said at a meeting sponsored by Rady Children's Hospital and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In 2007, about 63% of households in the United States contained one or more pets. Of these, 3% contained exotic or nontraditional pets. "In 2005, approximately 88,000 mammals were imported legally into the United States, including 29 species of rodents," added Dr. Pickering, executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. "Exposure to parrots, parakeets, and cockatiels can lead to Chlamydia psittaci, an intracellular bacterial pathogen that causes acute febrile respiratory tract illness. In the United States, there were 1219 cases per year reported annually from 2002 to 2006, "but the number of cases is probably higher," Dr. Pickering said. If you see a child or an adult with atypical pneumonia, ask if there is a bird in the home.
Contact with baby poultry such as chicks, duckling, goslings, and turkeys increases the risk of developing salmonellosis. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised people are especially vulnerable (MMWR 2007;56:2736). Salmonella can be found in chicken feces, feathers, or their environment. Each year, 1.4 million Salmonella infections are reported "but we don't know what percent is due to contact with baby poultry," Dr. Pickering said.
Certain Salmonella serotypes are isolated from specific animals, so if a child presents with salmonellosis, the organism should be serotyped to determine if it is an unusual species. Salmonellosis from turtles, lizards, and other reptiles represents 6% of all Salmonella infections in the United States and 11% of infections in people less than 21 years of age (Clin. Infect. Dis. 2004;38:535361).
The chances of a child acquiring Salmonella, E. coli 0157 or some other infectious disease at a public zoo are "very low, because most zoos are well maintained," Dr. Pickering said. "Petting zoos can be a problem, as can animal swap meets where children can handle animals and there are no hand-washing facilities on site."
Diseases that have been reported associated with pet store animals include Salmonella in hamsters, mice, and rats; rabies in kittens; tularemia and lymphocytic choriomeningitis in hamsters; and monkeypox in prairie dogs.
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