家有小孩 慎养宠物

Reptiles, monkeys, rodents and other exotic pets are growing in popularity but should be discouraged in homes with small children or people with immune system problems, according to a report published on Monday.

While pediatricians know about pet-related hazards, only 5 percent say they regularly educate parents and children about such dangers, an attitude that should change, Dr. Larry Pickering of Emory University Medical School in Atlanta said in report for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Most non-traditional pets pose a risk to the health of young children, and their acquisition and ownership should be discouraged in households with young children," they said in a report published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

Most reptiles carry salmonella bacteria, for example.

The report said parents need to be educated about the increased risks of exposure to non-traditional pets and animals in public settings for infants and for children under 5, such as petting zoos, and for people with immune system problems.

Potential problems range from allergies to the spread of infectious diseases, they said. For instance, in 2003 an outbreak of monkeypox affected around 20 people in the US midwest, traced to imported Gambian pouched rats from Africa.

The report said the number of exotic pets in the United States has increased by 75 percent since 1992. In 2005 there were nearly 88,000 mammals, 1.3 million reptiles and 203 million fish imported illegally into the United States.

"This illegal trade subverts rules established by regulatory agencies to reduce the introduction of disease ..." the report said.

如今，蜥蜴、猴子和啮齿动物等外来宠物越来越受欢迎，但本周一发表的一项研究报告称，有小孩或家人有免疫系统问题的家庭应慎养这些宠物。

亚特兰大埃莫里大学医学院的拉里．皮科林博士在为“美国儿科学会”撰写的研究报告中提到，儿科医生们都清楚这些宠物的潜在危害，但仅有5%的医生称他们经常提醒家长和孩子注意这些危害，这种态度应该改变。

研究人员在《儿科学》十月刊上发表的研究报告中说：“多数非传统宠物对幼儿的健康都有潜在危害，所以有小孩的家庭最好不要养这些宠物。”

比如，多数爬行动物都携带沙门氏菌。

报告称，婴儿、不满五岁的孩子和有免疫系统疾病的人应避免接触非传统宠物以及宠物动物园等公共场所的动物，家长应了解其中的潜在危害。

这些危害轻则引起过敏，重可导致传染病的传播。2003年，美国中西部地区的约20人感染了一种“猴痘”病毒，这种病毒源于从非洲进口的一批冈比亚巨鼠。

报告称，从1992年起，美国的外来宠物数量增长了75%。2005年，共有近8.8万只哺乳动物、130万只爬行动物和2.03亿条鱼被非法带入美国。

报告称：“这种非法贸易违反了相关监管机构制定的防止进口动物传播疾病的法规。”