Immunocompromised Children and Young Patients Living with Pets: Gaps in Knowledge to Avoid Zoonosis
Table 2
Data on patients’ attitudes, hygiene, feeding, and veterinary care of pets.
Patient-pet relationship
The pet lives inside the home
66.2% (86/130)
The patient plays with the pet daily
74.6% (97/130)
The pet eats in the kitchen with the family
37.6% (49/130)
The patient and the pet share a bed, and/or the patient kisses/lets the pet lick his/her face
46.1% (60/130)
The patient is directly involved in feeding the pet
40.8% (53/130)
The patient is directly involved in the pet’s hygiene
20% (26/130)
The patient collects the animal’s feces
15.4% (20/130)
The patient cleans the animal’s cage/basket/aquarium/terrarium
9.2% (12/130)
Animal feeding
Exclusively commercial processed food and/or home cooked food
93% (121/130)
Unprocessed and/or uncooked food
3.1% (4/130)
Hygiene (dogs/cats) (106/130)
1 time/week
6.6% (7/106)
1-2 times/month
44.3% (47/106)
Every 2–4 months
34.9% (37/106)
Never
14.1% (15/106)
Veterinarian visits (dogs/cats)
≥3 times/year
38.7% (41/106)
2 times/year
17.9% (19/106)
1 time/year
22.6% (24/106)
<1 time/year
20.7% (22/106)
Vaccination up to date (dogs/cats)
Yes
94.3% (100/106)
No
5.7% (6/106)
Internal deworming (dogs/cats)
Monthly
11.3% (12/106)
Every 3 months or less
51.9% (55/106)
Less than once every 3 months
32% (34/106)
Never
4.7% (5/106)
Patients who did not comply with the veterinary recommendations for the general population and/or the recommendations of the guidelines for immunocompromised patients with pets (discouraged species or insufficient veterinary care). Deworming is generally recommended 4 times per year in outdoor cats and dogs although the recommended frequency can go up to once a month for immunocompromised patients. Bold values indicate patients who did not comply with the veterinary recommendations for the general population and/or the recommendations of the guidelines for immunocompromised patients with pets (discouraged species or insufficient veterinary care).
