Dog in France Catches Monkeypox From Humans

A dog in France is thought to have contracted monkeypox from his owners, making it the first known case of human-to-dog transmission of the emerging viral illness. The dog was sleeping in the same bed as his owner.

The Pitié-Salptrire Hospital in Paris, France has a team of infectious disease doctors.

Two men went to the hospital with symptoms of monkeypox, which included a rash, headaches, and general weakness. The majority of monkeypox infections documented in non-endemic areas of the world this year appear to have been transmitted through close contact during sex. After having sex with other men, the men developed a rash and were living in a non-exclusive relationship. They were shown to have contracted monkeypox.

Twelve days after their symptoms appeared, the couple noticed that their dog had the same rash around its abdomen and anus. In order to confirm the chain of transmission, it was necessary to show the presence of monkeypox in the dog, as well as find a match for the virus from one of the patients. The owners said they were often sleeping with their dog.

Monkeypox can be carried by rodents in parts of Africa but it can also be carried by mammals. Lab monkeys imported from Africa were the first to identify it. In the 70s, it was shown that humans could sometimes contract the disease from contact with animals. Through sustained person-to- person transmission, the virus has spread far wider than before. This is the first documented case of monkeypox in a domesticated animal. Pet prairie dogs, which are not domesticated animals, were linked to an outbreak in the U.S.

There have been over 30,000 reported cases of human monkeypox outside of endemic areas of the world this year. Experts fear that the outbreak will allow the virus to establish itself as an ongoing human illness from now on, even though there are available vaccines and treatments. There have already been reports of non-sexual transmission between members of the same household if the case is true. The report should serve as a red flag about the possibility of transmission to pets.

Pets should be isolated from monkeys that are positive for the monkeypox virus. They called for further investigation on secondary transmissions.