Zoonoses of house pets other than dogs, cats and birds

In addition to dogs, cats and birds, which are the most frequent house pets, rabbits, rodents, fish and turtles are also vertebrate species that commonly share the home environment. Lizards, snakes and ferrets are less common pets. These species can transmit numerous diseases, especially to children who are more likely to be in close contact with them. The author presents a general review of zoonoses and potential zoonoses transmitted by rabbits, rodents and cold blooded vertebrates. Zoonoses transmitted by ferrets, a more recent popular house pet, are also considered. Although most zoonoses contracted from pets are relatively rare events, clinicians should be aware of any animal exposure, especially in immunocompromised hosts. Because of the diversity and the large size of the pet population, exposure to animals should be systematically ascertained when examining a patient.