Aquatic Pollution and Coastal Management

Unit 7 : Microbial pollution

7.4.What is a Zoonosis?
As exotic pets become more popular, diseases and disease outbreaks related to exotic pets are becoming more widely reported. Understandably, this is causing some alarm among exotic pet owners.

A zoonosis is simply an animal disease which can be transmitted to people. Perspectives about Zoonoses and Exotic Pets.

Some examples of zoonotic diseases that are relatively unique to the exotic pet trade are given below. It is vital to remember that the cases of zoonosis from exotic pets are rare (and zoonoses are not unique to exotic pets -- domestic animals have their share too). Also, it is difficult to say whether cases of zoonotic diseases are increasing, or if it is just a matter of better detection, investigation, and reporting. However, there are valid concerns related to the increasing awareness of zoonoses. Since many exotic pets are imported from foreign countries, the risk of introducing a foreign disease is very real (e.g. monkeypox).

Some other pets like hamsters and rodents are sometimes moved around so much before reaching a pet store that is can be impossible to trace animal movements when investigating outbreaks. In addition, shipping and housing methods used by distributors tend to place large numbers of animals together in close proximity. This only encourages the transmission of disease between animals, at a time when stress levels and therefore susceptibility to disease are already sky high. Some laws have been brought into effect to try to reduce problems, but these are sometimes ignored. In the 1970s, the sale of turtles less than 4 inches long was banned in the US. The ban was intended to stop the growing numbers of Salmonella cases in children since turtles had become popular children's pets. The ban was quite effective, originally. Now, some retailers are not even aware that this law exists, while others still sell baby turtles while they clearly know it is illegal, making flimsy attempts to get around the law as it is written.

Examples of Zoonoses:

• Salmonella and Reptiles
• Illegal Turtle Sales (related to Salmonella)
• Salmonella and Rodents
• Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis in Hamsters and Mice
• Tularemia in Hamsters and Other Rodents
• Monkey Pox and Prairie Dogs (and a Gambian Rat)
• Psittacosis in Birds
• Ferrets and the Flu (a bit of a reversal, as ferrets often get infected by people)