家有小孩 慎养宠物

 Reptiles¹, monkeys, rodents² 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 allergies³ to the spread of infectious diseases, they said. For instance, in 2003 an outbreak of monkeypox affected⁴ around 20 people in the US midwest, traced to imported Gambian pouched⁵ 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 subverts⁶ 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。”

1 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

3 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 pouched   

adj.袋形的，有袋的

参考例句：

• He pouched the pack of cigarettes. 他把这包香烟装入口袋中。 来自辞典例句
• His face pouched and seamed. 他的面孔肉松皮皱。 来自辞典例句

6 subverts   

v.颠覆，破坏（政治制度、宗教信仰等）( subvert的第三人称单数 )；使（某人）道德败坏或不忠

参考例句：

• Thus It'subverts the traditional concept of subjectivity. 因此也解构了传统的主观性的概念。 来自互联网
• Chopin presents us an emancipating Edna who challenges and subverts the patriarchal dogmas. 肖邦为我们展现了一位勇于挑战﹑颠覆父权体制的新女性形象。 来自互联网