High Human IgE from a tortoise?
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Hi Celeste:
Does your daughter handle the tortoise or its habitat then put her hands into her mouth?
If you're worried about her immunoglobulinin, you should talk to your doctor. If your tortoise has parasites, there is a chance that the eggs might be passed along to your daughter if she has touched something that the tortoise has pooped on, then put her hands into her mouth.
Your first sentence tells me that you are considering finding a new home for your sulcata if your daughter has parasites. Don't even think about it. All you have to do is practice good husbandry and cleanliness, and stress strongly for your daughter to keep her hands off of her face until she has washed them. Nine years old is plenty old enough to be able to trust that she can do the right thing.
Does your daughter handle the tortoise or its habitat then put her hands into her mouth?
If you're worried about her immunoglobulinin, you should talk to your doctor. If your tortoise has parasites, there is a chance that the eggs might be passed along to your daughter if she has touched something that the tortoise has pooped on, then put her hands into her mouth.
Your first sentence tells me that you are considering finding a new home for your sulcata if your daughter has parasites. Don't even think about it. All you have to do is practice good husbandry and cleanliness, and stress strongly for your daughter to keep her hands off of her face until she has washed them. Nine years old is plenty old enough to be able to trust that she can do the right thing.
Welcome!
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the antibody that mammals use to fight parasitic worms. In the absence of worms, and often in the developed world where people live in very clean (arguably too clean) conditions, IgE is also the antibody primarily responsible for allergies. Thus, when an allergist wants to test a patient for allergies, they either put an extract of a fungus, plant, or animal directly on that person's skin (as a skin prick or injection), or else they take a blood sample and measure IgE levels in response to certain allergens.
A number of genetic and environmental factors affect to what extent a person develops allergies, but these are usually to proteins that are encountered often enough for the body to mount a defense to, but not often enough for the body to disregard as harmless. In other words, allergies may be to various foods or environmental, i.e. fungi (mushrooms and molds), plants (trees, weeds, and grasses), dust mite feces, and animal dander. When a person is allergic to animal dander, it's usually to birds and/or mammals, since these warm-blooded animals are active and can shed quite a bit. Fish and amphibians may also trigger allergies if handled, since their protective slime coating contains of many proteins.
As for reptiles, though, even if a person has or is capable of forming an allergy to a reptile, it's unlikely that the person will exhibit any symptoms, since reptiles don't really have dander. They are covered in scales and shells, and even when they do drop their skin, it comes off in big strips strips that are shed all at once, rather than as tiny particles that float around in the air. This is why allergists often recommend tortoises, lizards, or snakes as pets for kids with allergies; they are extremely hypoallergenic.
If a person keeping a reptile still experiences allergy symptoms (watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, or asthma), it is far more likely that they are triggered by something in the substrate, usually mold or other fungi in soil, or else irritants from bark or other plant materials. Did you have your child's IgE levels measured because you're concerned about allergies? If so, I would blame the substrate before I blame the tortoise.
BTW - Infection by parasites such as tapeworms or roundworms (helminths) can often reduce allergic symptoms, rather than exacerbate them. This is because the IgE antibody then targets the parasites, rather than harmless proteins from food or the environment. In addition, helminths often release modulating chemicals that can actually tamp down the immune response. In large quantities, helminths can be dangerous, but in low levels, they may be harmless or even beneficial.
A number of genetic and environmental factors affect to what extent a person develops allergies, but these are usually to proteins that are encountered often enough for the body to mount a defense to, but not often enough for the body to disregard as harmless. In other words, allergies may be to various foods or environmental, i.e. fungi (mushrooms and molds), plants (trees, weeds, and grasses), dust mite feces, and animal dander. When a person is allergic to animal dander, it's usually to birds and/or mammals, since these warm-blooded animals are active and can shed quite a bit. Fish and amphibians may also trigger allergies if handled, since their protective slime coating contains of many proteins.
As for reptiles, though, even if a person has or is capable of forming an allergy to a reptile, it's unlikely that the person will exhibit any symptoms, since reptiles don't really have dander. They are covered in scales and shells, and even when they do drop their skin, it comes off in big strips strips that are shed all at once, rather than as tiny particles that float around in the air. This is why allergists often recommend tortoises, lizards, or snakes as pets for kids with allergies; they are extremely hypoallergenic.
If a person keeping a reptile still experiences allergy symptoms (watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, or asthma), it is far more likely that they are triggered by something in the substrate, usually mold or other fungi in soil, or else irritants from bark or other plant materials. Did you have your child's IgE levels measured because you're concerned about allergies? If so, I would blame the substrate before I blame the tortoise.
BTW - Infection by parasites such as tapeworms or roundworms (helminths) can often reduce allergic symptoms, rather than exacerbate them. This is because the IgE antibody then targets the parasites, rather than harmless proteins from food or the environment. In addition, helminths often release modulating chemicals that can actually tamp down the immune response. In large quantities, helminths can be dangerous, but in low levels, they may be harmless or even beneficial.
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