Can Exotic Pets Make Kids Sick? American Academy of Pediatrics Weighs In

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published a study called Exposure to Nontraditional Pets at Home and to Animals in Public Settings: Risks to Children, which is a review of the medical literature on illness and injury to children from exotic pets and animals in public settings like petting zoos. The report concludes with a series of recommendations that might be a bit startling to some owners of exotic pets (like not keeping rodents in households with children under 5 years of age). I have very mixed feelings about this study. On the one hand, I am a firm believer in educating potential pet owners about all aspects of pets, including proper care and expectations, and any risks associated with a pet and how to mitigate the risks. And, I believe many exotic pets are not a good choice for young kids, mostly because they are just not a good mix. On the other hand, it bothers me that exotic pets are singled out, as there are certainly risks with any sort of pet. Studies such as this one unfairly create a climate of fear about exotic pets.

The study itself has merit, and makes some good recommendations about mitigating the risks of exposure to disease from animals. The study also makes some excellent points about problems in the pet industry that can lead to cases of illness. What is lacking is a bit of perspective about the relative risks of some of the illnesses covered. And though the study does mention some risks that are also associated with traditional pets like dogs and cats (like bacterial contamination of pet food and treats or raw foods), the overall tone of the report unfortunately makes it sound like exotic pets are downright scary.

But what bothers me most are some of the headlines I have seen in the news coverage of this report. How about these fear-inducers: Pets 'could trigger fatal diseases' or Pet hamsters 'make children ill'. The main problem with a study like this, from my perspective, is that it singles out exotic pets and creates a sense of fear or panic about what awful diseases they might carry, especially when media reports focus on the extreme.

I don't much care for the title of this blog entry: 8 Pets That Pose Major Health Threats to Kids, but it is actually one of the better balanced pieces I've seen because of two things. It mentions that dogs and cats can also carry disease, and it quotes one of the study's authors as saying families shouldn't have to give up their pets in fear, but rather practice excellent hygiene and make sure their pets are well cared for.

What do you think about this study? Is it simply fear mongering about exotic pets, or useful advice about making the decision to bring an exotic pet into homes with children? Please feel free to share your comments below.

Also See:

• Zoonoses - Diseases from Animals
• Exotic Pets for Kids

Elsewhere on About.com: Keep Little Ones Away From Exotic Pets and More on Little Kids and Exotic Pets from About.com Parenting Preschoolers