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Monkeypox and pets

CDC Changes Guidance After Gay Couple Likely Infected Their Dog With Monkeypox


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance related to animals and the monkeypox virus after a gay couple in France is suspected of transmitting the virus to their dog.

According to a paper published in The Lancet, two male partners, who were sleeping with other partners too, passed monkeypox to their Italian greyhound 12 days after they started showing symptoms.

The males, one aged 44 and the other 27, started seeing symptoms of the virus in a matter of days after sleeping with other partners.

“The men had presented with anal ulceration 6 days after sex with other partners,” the paper said. “In patient 1, anal ulceration was followed by a vesiculopustular rash on the face, ears, and legs; in patient 2, on the legs and back. In both cases, rash was associated with asthenia, headaches, and fever 4 days later.”

Nearly two weeks after the couple had symptoms, their dog tested positive for the virus, too.


“Twelve days after symptom onset, their male Italian greyhound, aged 4 years and with no previous medical disorders, presented with mucocutaneous lesions, including abdomen pustules and a thin anal ulceration,” The Lancet outlined. “The dog tested positive for monkeypox virus by use of a PCR protocol adapted from Li and colleagues that involved scraping skin lesions and swabbing the anus and oral cavity.”

“The men reported co-sleeping with their dog. They had been careful to prevent their dog from contact with other pets or humans from the onset of their own symptoms,” the paper added.

The paper’s authors concluded, “To the best of our knowledge, the kinetics of symptom onset in both patients and, subsequently, in their dog suggest human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox virus.”


“Given the dog’s skin and mucosal lesions as well as the positive monkeypox virus PCR results from anal and oral swabs, we hypothesise a real canine disease, not a simple carriage of the virus by close contact with humans or airborne transmission (or both),” the authors continued. “Our findings should prompt debate on the need to isolate pets from monkeypox virus-positive individuals. We call for further investigation on secondary transmissions via pets.”

The monkeypox virus has hit the LGBTQ community hardest across continents, spreading via close contact, including rashes and bodily fluids, according to the CDC.

Since The Lancet paper, the CDC has updated its guidance to include dogs as animals that can catch the virus, CBS News reported.


“People with monkeypox should avoid contact with animals, including pets, domestic animals, and wildlife to prevent spreading the virus,” the CDC says.

“If your pet is exposed to monkey pox: Do not surrender, euthanize, or abandon pets just because of a potential exposure or Monkeypox virus,” the agency said, adding, “Do not wipe or bathe your pet with chemical disinfectants, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or other products, such as hand sanitizer, counter-cleaning wipes, or other industrial or surface cleaners.”

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