New Delhi: People infected with monkeypox should isolate their pets, a World Health Organization official said, after France reported the first case of human-to-dog transmission of the virus.Also Read – Monkeypox cases on the rise in Delhi: Kejriwal govt says situation is being monitored, nothing to panic
In a Lancet report earlier this week, French researchers documented the first case of a dog with confirmed monkeypox infection that can be acquired through human transmission.
Previous outbreaks of monkeypox in the US have been linked to prairie dogs, but no human-to-animal transmission has been reported.
Dr. WHO Technical Lead on Monkeypox. The first human-to-dog transmission of the virus is new but not surprising, according to Rosamond Lewis, the Washington Post reported.
“It has not been reported that dogs have been infected before. So, on a number of levels, this is new information. That’s not surprising information, and it’s something we’re cautious about,” says Lewis.
The US At the time of the outbreak, Lewis said all of the infected individuals were from contact with new pets that they acquired from a central source in several states and infected pets.
But in the latest case, a team from the Sorbonne University in Paris reported cases of monkeypox in two men who had sex with men whose 4-year-old Italian greyhound, with a history of medical disorders, tested positive for the virus.
The dog, which had been co-sleeping with males, developed mucocutaneous (involving both normal skin and mucous membranes) lesions, including red, tender nodules with white pus on the skin of the abdomen and anus, 12 days after the onset of monkeypox symptoms. two men.
“Pets should be isolated from them – from family members who may be infected. This is an example of a cautionary approach, a cautionary message, because we don’t have information that this has ever happened before,” Lewis said.
“We don’t know if that dog can go and infect someone else, for example. This is one instance where most pets will not be at risk. It can only be those who are actually in the family of an infected person, she added.
She noted that within WHO, experts are working with partners such as the World Organization of Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization to address the issue.
Meanwhile, the US The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises people with monkeypox to avoid contact with animals, including their pets, because infected animals can spread the virus to people, and it is “likely that infected people spread monkeypox through close contact with animals.” virus, including petting, hugging, cuddling, kissing, licking, sharing sleeping places and sharing food.”
Pets that have been in close contact with someone with monkeypox symptoms should be kept indoors and away from other animals and people for 21 days after the most recent exposure, the CDC said.
“We are still learning which animal species can get monkeypox,” the agency said.
“While we do not know whether reptiles, amphibians or birds can get monkeypox, it is unlikely because these animals are not infected with other orthopoxviruses.”
