Monkeypox outbreaks have added yet another wrinkle, a new case study shows, showing that people can transmit the virus to their pet dogs.
As a result, the CDC recommends in updated guidance that people infected with the virus should avoid close contact with pets.
According to CBS News, the change reflects the first recorded cases of pets contracting the virus from their owners. According to a new paper published in The Lancet , the case occurred in France.
“To our knowledge, the kinetics of symptom onset in two patients and subsequently in their dogs suggest that monkeypox virus is in
In this case, a 4-year-old Italian greyhound was Skin lesions developed and tested positive for monkeypox 12 days after onset of symptoms. The owners were two male partners living together but not sexually rejected. They often let their dogs nap on the bed.
The couple started experiencing monkeypox symptoms after sleeping with other partners for a few days. Both said they were careful to prevent their dogs from coming into contact with other people or pets once symptoms appeared, according to CBS News.
The information that animals can carry monkeypox is not new, but this is the first reported case in a domestic dog or cat, the researchers said.
It is well known that wild animals, including rodents and primates, can carry monkeypox in countries where the virus is endemic. The researchers noted that captive primates were also infected with the virus in animals imported from Europe. They say further investigation into the secondary nature of monkeypox transmission through pets is needed.
“Our findings should spark debate on the need to isolate pets from monkeypox virus-positive individuals,” they wrote .
World Health Organization declares monkeypox virus – which is now circulating in places where it is not yet endemic – an emergency of international concern on June 23 public health event.
People with monkeypox should avoid close contact with animals and any pets, CDC says Cared for by friends or family members of other households.
More information:
American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more to learn about monkeypox.
Sophie Seang et al., Evidence for human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus, The Lancet (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01487-8
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Citation : Dogs contract monkeypox from owners, prompting changes to CDC guidelines (2022, Aug. 15), retrieved Aug. 17, 2022, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022- 08-dog-monkeypox-owners-prompting-cdc.html
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