No Exotic Pets For Children
MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Exposing your children to the joys of pet ownership may, in some cases, also mean exposing them to infections and injuries.
Parents need to be aware of the dangers -- including salmonella infection and even monkey pox -- of owning such nontraditional pets as rodents, reptiles, monkeys and more, says a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published in the October issue of Pediatrics.
The report is the first comprehensive statement on the topic, said study co-author Dr. Robert Frenck, a pediatrics professor at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and a member of the AAP committee on infectious diseases.
"Nontraditional pets are becoming more traditional, and nontraditional pets can expose kids to disease they otherwise might not be exposed to," Frenck said. "If parents are thinking about having these nontraditional pets, they may want to talk to a veterinarian and/or pediatrician first to see if there is any real concern."
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