Hassl Andreas, Benyr Gerald
Department of Medical Parasitology, Clinical Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, University of Vienna, Vienna.
Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2003;115 Suppl 3:68-71.
Amphibians and reptiles are popular pet animals in about 90.000 Austrian households despite their frequently debated capacity to transmit diseases associated with animal keeping. We studied the epidemiological significance of the triangle animal keeper, exotic pet animal, and feed mice by investigating the frequency of three intestinal infestations, caused by cryptosporidia, opportunistic free-living amebas and salmonella, in amphibians and reptiles living in a public vivarium. In addition to recording the first known occurrence of Naegleria australiensis in Austria, and of this species and of Acanthamoeba polyphaga in the feces of reptiles worldwide, we also detected a strong association between Salmonella subspecies I and captive reptiles and between S. sub-species III and free-living lizards. Thus, animal keeper, the exotic animals kept, and the feed mice may constitute an epidemiological pool for the interchange of these infectious agents. This new epidemiological situation may cause an increase of some opportunistic and exotic diseases such as reptile-borne salmonellosis. Despite the perceived benefits of keeping exotic animals in a household, the general public and especially those who have an immunodeficiency must be made aware of the danger of infectious diseases possibly being spread by their pets.
尽管两栖动物和爬行动物传播与饲养动物相关疾病的能力经常受到争议，但它们在约9万户奥地利家庭中仍是受欢迎的宠物。我们通过调查生活在公共饲养箱中的两栖动物和爬行动物中由隐孢子虫、机会性自由生活阿米巴和沙门氏菌引起的三种肠道感染的频率，研究了动物饲养者、外来宠物和饲料小鼠这三者之间的流行病学意义。除了记录澳大利亚耐格里阿米巴在奥地利的首次已知出现，以及该物种和多食棘阿米巴在全球爬行动物粪便中的首次出现外，我们还检测到沙门氏菌亚种I与圈养爬行动物之间以及亚种III与自由生活蜥蜴之间存在密切关联。因此，动物饲养者、所饲养的外来动物和饲料小鼠可能构成这些传染源相互交换的一个流行病学池。这种新的流行病学情况可能导致一些机会性和外来疾病增加，如爬行动物传播的沙门氏菌病。尽管人们认为在家中饲养外来动物有好处，但必须让公众，尤其是那些免疫功能低下的人意识到宠物可能传播传染病的危险。
