Five Cases of Contact Dermatitis to a Trendy Pet

Abstract

Skin contact with animal hair may induce contact urticaria (syndrome) or protein contact dermatitis. We report here 5 cases of dermatitis due to contact with ferrets kept as pets. The nature of the skin lesions, i.e. eczematous dermatitis, as well as the history of our 5 cases point to protein contact dermatitis. Further studies are requested to confirm this hypothesis and to identify the mechanisms and allergens. Physicians must be aware of the possibility of contact dermatitis with ferrets, especially when the patient has no previous history of atopic dermatitis and presents dermatitis of the neck, arm and around mouth.

Manifestations cutanées immuno-allergiques liées aux nouveaux animaux de compagnie : trois observations

“…Aux États-Unis, le furet est le troisième animal de compagnie après le chat et le chien [3], et plusieurs cas de dermite de contact aux protéines du furet ont été rapportés [4]. Les lésions siègent généralement sur les mains, le visage et le cou (zones de contacts répétés avec l'animal).…”

Allergy to Uncommon Pets: New Allergies but the Same Allergens

“…The most frequent symptoms presented after exposure to these animals – i.e., rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma – affect the upper and lower respiratory tract and have been reported in relation to prairie dog (5), chinchilla (6), guinea pig (7, 8), ferret (9, 10), gerbil (11, 12), hamster (13–17), hedgehog (18), rabbit (19–21), hare (22), and monkey (23–25). Contact urticaria has also been reported with chinchilla (6), ferret (10, 26), and hedgehog (18). In cases the owner was bitten by the animal, the subsequent symptoms reported varied from urticaria (15, 27) or respiratory discomfort (28) to anaphylactic shock, as described with gerbil (28), hamster (14, 29, 30), sunda slow loris (2), and mouse (31).…”