Immunocompromised Children and Young Patients Living with Pets: Gaps in Knowledge to Avoid Zoonosis

Abstract

Background and Objectives. Although pets are known to be beneficial for children, they could also imply risks for immunocompromised ones. We report the prevalence of children and young patients living with pets in a cohort of immunosuppressed pediatric patients and describe risk behaviors for acquiring zoonosis and compliance with veterinary recommendations. Methods. A cross-sectional, observational study was performed in a large tertiary hospital in Madrid, including immunosuppressed patients from different regions of Spain. The participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire. Results. Two hundred and eighty-four responses were received: 62.3% solid organ transplantation (177/284), 22.8% hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (65/284), and 14.8% inborn errors of immunity (42/284). The median age was 11 years (interquartile range 5.9–15.4), and 55% were boys (156/284). Up to 45% (130/284) of the respondents lived with 201 pets (74% of them dogs and cats). Half of the patients owning dogs or cats did not comply with at least one of the recommendations regarding vaccination, deworming, feeding, and/or veterinarian recommended controls. The poorest findings were related to deworming regimens. Only 42.8% (117/273) of the participants received specific recommendations from their healthcare professionals about companion animals. However, up to 97% of the families considering acquiring a pet did so when the professional did not contraindicate it (31/32), while 72% of the families having pets got rid of their pets when they were advised against animals (8/11). Conclusions. Pet ownership is frequent among immunocompromised children. They presented risky exposures for acquiring zoonoses, and basic veterinary recommendations were not frequently followed. The opinion of professionals significantly influenced the decision to acquire pets, but less than half of the families received recommendations in this regard.