Pet-Related Infections
The first reaction of most Pediatricians when they see the picture above is an exclamation of “Salmonella!” It was certainly my reaction when my son asked for a turtle for his birthday this year.
The Jackson household includes a menagerie of animals. We have a black Labrador Retriever, a house cat and a barn cat, mama horses and their babies, several fish, and now a sweet Brazilian tortoise as well. Animals can be wonderful additions to the family – they decrease anxiety, provide companionship, and teach responsibility.
However, pets also carry the risk of bringing infection and diseases into the home, and this is certainly something to consider before adopting a pet of your own.
Infectious concerns
All animals carry germs, some of which are specific to the species of animal. Many common pet illnesses, such as distemper, heart worms, and canine parvo, are not contagious to humans. That said, there are other bacteria, viruses, and parasites that CAN cause illness in pet owners when exposed to contaminated animal saliva and waste products. The most vulnerable people are infants and young children, women who are pregnant, and anyone with compromised immune systems.
Furry Friends: dogs and cats are probably the most common household pets. Close contact is usually safe but there are certain bacteria and parasites (usually intestinal worms) that can be transmitted to humans. Most of the infections caused by these animals is due to bites, scratches, or contact with feces/waste.
Toxoplasmosis from cats is a concern for pregnant women in particular, and is the reasoning behind recommending that pregnant women avoid cleaning out cat litter boxes.
Reptiles and Amphibians: snakes, frogs, salamanders, lizards, turtles, bearded dragons. The most common risk to pet owners in this group is Salmonella, a bacteria that is common in the digestive tracts of even healthy reptiles and amphibians. Infection usually occurs through contact with the animal itself or the water source.
Livestock: cows, horses, sheep, goats. While less common in larger cities, children in rural and semi-rural areas are often in close contact with livestock. Salmonella and Q fever can be transmitted to humans through contaminated feces and exposure to animals as they give birth.
It is increasingly popular to drink raw milk, but there is a very real risk of several different bacterial pathogens that cause significant gastrointestinal illness. Salmonella, E coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter have all been found to cause illness through ingestion of raw, unpasteurized milk.
Poultry: Backyard chickens are also growing rapidly in popularity. Chickens can transmit Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria through direct contact with the animals and their waste products.
Prevention measures
The most important thing you can do to prevent infectious risk is to make sure your child washes hands frequently. This is particularly important after handling reptiles and chickens, as mentioned previously. The first thing we did after setting up the tortoise house was place a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby!
Additionally, make sure your pet stays healthy through regular veterinary check ups and immunizations. Keep the areas your child plays in clean of waste products as much as possible.
Bites
A bite from any animal must be taken seriously. Animals, like humans, naturally have bacteria in their mouths that is transferred into the skin when a bit occurs. Have your child seen by a medical professional after any bite occurs, to have the wound thoroughly cleaned and inspected. Most bites will require antibiotics to prevent and/or treat infection promptly.
A note about rabies
Rabies is a viral disease of the central nervous system that is fatal but preventable. It is spread from a bite or scratch from an infected animal. In the United States, rabies is actually not very common amongst dogs and cats, but much more common in certain wild animal species such as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Potential rabies exposure is taken seriously by doctors, who use “post exposure prophylaxis,” a combination of immune complexes and vaccination given AFTER exposure to prevent disease in the bitten person.
If your child is bitten by your own pet, you know the animal’s rabies vaccination history (if applicable), but if it is not your pet it will be important to find out as much as you can about the animal. Talk to the owner if you can. Animal control can help to find strays and to monitor animals where the vaccination history is unsure or unknown.
Final thoughts
At first glance, the information given today may seem to be an argument against having pets at home. This is certainly not the impression I wish to give! Animals of all forms are wonderful additions to the family. Obviously I believe this, did you count how many different pets we have at my house? But with anything, there is risk with the reward. As long as you take care to be knowledgeable about the infectious risks associated with your pets, your children will benefit from the experience of living with animals.
Though we have discussed many different pets today, it is obviously not a comprehensive list of animals people have in their homes. I suggest looking at the CDC link in the Resources section below for more information. Talk to your child’s Pediatrician and your pet’s Veterinarian for more information as well.
Resources
CDC healthy pets info: https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/index.html
Rabies information: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/medical_care/index.html
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One Comment
commenter
Great advice, the links and information you provided were super helpful!