Text Box: ROLE OF PETS IN INCREASING THE PREVALENCE OF ASTHMA Paramesh H Director, Lakeside Medical Center and Hospital, Bangalore, India Aim: Our aim is to find out the relation of owners of pets to the increased prevalence of Asthma. Methods: A questionnaire Survey of 5570 Urban School Children and 660 Rural School Children of 6-15 years of age, 1045 Traffic Police Officers and 1160 Non-Traffic Officers, 59 Agricultural farm workers and 54 poultry farm workers was done on various symptoms and signs of asthma and the environment, including pets. All of them underwent physical examination, PEF, FEVI and children who had 30 % less than normal and adults 60 % less than normal value of the peak expiratory flow were given salbutumol inhalation in a spacer. Persons showing an improvement of 15 % in PEF value were considered as asthmatics. Results: Prevalence of Asthma / Pets Sample Study No 0% of Asthma Pets Dogs Cats Birds Urban School Children 5570 16.63% 5.12% 68% 24.2% 7.8% Rural School Children 660 5.0% 7.5% 100% - - Traffic Police Officers 1045 26.12% 6.2% 93% 7% - Non-Traffic Police Officers 1160 14.9% 2.4% 85% 15% - Agricultural Farm Workers 59 15.6% 42.3% 100% - - Poultry Farm Workers 54 68.5% 1% 100% - - Conclusion: The prevalence of asthma is high in the Urban Children and Poultry Farm Workers where Pet ownership was less. On the contrary where the prevalence of asthma was low in rural areas the pets ownership is high. Dogs are the predominant pets. We infer that pets are not the cause of increased prevalence of asthma. Pets are part of the family and most loved ones by children. Hence while advising the family on environment control, we should use constraint while advising elimination of pets unless we have sufficient proof. 2423