BACTERIAL ZOONOSES AMONG DOMESTIC REPTILES

In the last years an ever-increasing importation of exotic animals destined to live under domestic conditions has been observed. Chelonians, terrestrial and aquatic turtles, are the most commonly present in domestic environment, even if saurians (lizards) and ophidians (snakes) are frequently kept in houses. Reptiles, that can be considered new pet animals, even if clinically healthy, often harbor opportunistic pathogens, which can become cause of seri-ous infections under stress condition. Viral, protozoal, fungal and parasitic agents can infect the cold-blooded animals, but bacteria are the most common pathogens recovered from these animals and in most cases they can be transmitted to humans. Domestic reptiles represent an emerging problem for the public health. New reptile owners should be educated about a prop-er animal care in order to assure the pet health, to protect themselves from venomous or aggressive species, and to avoid the risk of infection. The main bacterial infections, transmitted from reptiles to humans, are reported, with par-ticular attention to salmonellosis, mycobacteriosis, chlamydophilosis and Aeromonas and Pseudomonas infections. Key words: reptiles; bacteria; zoonoses; public health.