| Each year literally hundreds of millions of legally | | | | has been covering a story where three people were |
| imported exotic pets flood into the United States and | | | | infected with ringworm by two hoglets bought from |
| Europe. Many of these animals can be happily | | | | the same breeder.This story is all the more disturbing |
| hopping, swimming or crawling in the wild in South | | | | as the breeder in question somehow managed to |
| America, Asia or Africa one day, and find themselves | | | | circumvent the UK's stringent quarantine laws and |
| in a cage in some child's bedroom in say, Ohio, less | | | | import several African Pygmy Hedgehogs directly into |
| than a week later. Very often many of these pets | | | | the country from Germany. She claims that the |
| are not subject to quarantine or any form of | | | | Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs |
| screening and come straight from the bush into our | | | | (Defra) allowed her to "home quarantine" the |
| homes. Unfortunately many exotic pet owners are | | | | hedgehogs. It later transpired that the German |
| completely ignorant of the risks these animals may | | | | breeder's herd was infected with ringworm. While at |
| pose to their health. | | | | the breeder's home this infection was spread from |
| Zoonotic Diseases | | | | the "German" hedgehogs to the "parents" of the two |
| A zoonotic disease is one that can jump from animals | | | | hoglets that later infected their new owners and a |
| to humans. The Centers for Disease Control and | | | | family member. It should be noted that Defra state |
| Prevention say that these types of diseases account | | | | that "home quarantine" would not be allowed under |
| for 75% of all emerging infectious threats. Here is | | | | any circumstances. (7) |
| just a small sample of the diseases your exotic pet | | | | - Another recent CDC study lists an alarming number |
| can pass on to you. | | | | of confirmed and potential zoonotic diseases that pet |
| - Cowpox - In a recent case in France four people | | | | and wild hedgehogs can carry. The confirmed |
| were infected by cowpox after being scratched by | | | | diseases include Salmonella, Yersina, |
| pet rats that were all bought from the same pet | | | | pseudotubercolosis, Mycobacterium marinum, |
| store. In three of the cases surgery was required to | | | | Herpesvirus including human herpes simplex and |
| treat the disease.(1) | | | | Rabies. The potential diseases include Yersina pestis |
| - Salmonella - The majority of Salmonella infections | | | | (also responsible for Bubonic plague) and hemorrhagic |
| originate from contaminated food. However it is | | | | fever. (8) |
| estimated that 5 % of infections are linked to pets. | | | | What can you do to reduce the risk of infection? |
| It is believed that around 90% of reptiles, especially | | | | Many researchers in the field of infectious diseases |
| iguanas and turtles, carry Salmonella. The CDC | | | | actively discourage ownership of any kind of exotic |
| estimates that 70,000 people in the USA are infected | | | | pet. However, exotic pet ownership is a fact of life |
| with Salmonella by pet reptiles every year. Between | | | | and millions of them share our homes all over the |
| 2003 and 2004 many people in ten states all over | | | | world. The Centers for Disease Control and |
| the USA were infected with a drug-resistant form of | | | | Prevention have several web pages that provide |
| the disease which was subsequently linked to pet | | | | some excellent advice about reducing the risk of |
| hamsters and other rodents. (2) | | | | infection and information about the diseases |
| - In 1994 African Pygmy Hedgehogs were linked to a | | | | themselves: |
| rare form of Salmonella (S. tilene), when a 10 month | | | | If you do decide to purchase an exotic pet buying it |
| old girl became the first human to be documented | | | | from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store or |
| with this serotype in the USA. The girl's family kept a | | | | pet distributor, should provide you with more |
| breeding herd of 80 hedgehogs and significantly she | | | | guarantees about the animal's origins. While the risk |
| had not been in physical contact with them herself, | | | | of catching some terrible disease from your pet is |
| only with a family member who had handled them. | | | | relatively small, owners must be aware that it does |
| The same serotype was later diagnosed in 10 | | | | exist. If you follow the advice given on the CDC web |
| hedgehog owners in Canada. (3) | | | | site that risk is greatly reduced. |
| - Psittacosis - According to the CDC there are about | | | | References: |
| 50 confirmed cases of Psittacosis each year in the | | | | |
| USA, although they believe there may be many more | | | | 1. Ninove L, Domart Y, Vervel C, Voinot C, Salez N, |
| cases that remain misdiagnosed or unreported. The | | | | Raoult D, et al. Cowpox virus transmission from pet |
| disease is transmitted by pet birds such as parrots, | | | | rats to humans, France. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 May; |
| parakeets, macaws, and cockatiels. Psittacosis can | | | | [Epub ahead of print] |
| cause severe pneumonia and there have been | | | | 2. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Centers |
| several fatalities.(4) | | | | for Disease Control and Prevention - May 6, 2005 / |
| - In New England in 2005 three transplant patients | | | | 54(17);429-433 |
| died after receiving organs from a human donor who | | | | 3. Journal of Clinical Microbiology Nov. 1997, p. 2786 - |
| had been infected with the lymphocytic | | | | 2790 Human Salmonellosis Associated with Exotic |
| choriomeningitis virus by a pet hamster. (5) | | | | Pets; David L Woodward, Rasik Khakhira & |
| - Monkeypox - In 2003 there was an outbreak of | | | | Wendy M Johnson National Laboratory for Enteric |
| Monkeypox in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. | | | | Pathogens, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control |
| Monkeypox is related to Smallpox and its symptoms | | | | 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| include fever and the development of a papular rash. | | | | website. |
| In all cases the people with the disease had been in | | | | 5. Margaret Ebrahim and John Solomon Associated |
| contact with pet prairie dogs that had all come from | | | | Press Article - Nov. 27, 2006 |
| the same source. (6) | | | | 6. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Centers |
| - Ringworm - Despite its name ringworm or Tinea is | | | | for Disease Control and PreventionJune 13, 2003 / |
| actually a fungal skin infection. One source of | | | | 52(23);537-540 |
| ringworm is known to be pet and wild hedgehogs. | | | | 7. |
| Over the past few months the author's own blog | | | | |