Monkeypox: what a case of monkeypox in a dog could mean for the future of the disease

A group of French scientists has confirmed the first case of monkeypox, a disease popularly known as monkeypox, in a dog.

The unpublished report was published in the scientific journal The Lancet and was enough to change some recommendations from public health authorities.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for example, has included dogs among the species that can be affected by this virus and has advised that people diagnosed with the disease limit contact with pets until their complete recovery. painting.

After carrying out the test that confirmed the presence of the pathogen in the pet, the scientists performed the genetic sequencing of samples taken from one of the owners and the dog.

The results showed that the viruses were identical — which practically confirms the transmission of monkeypox from humans to dogs.

It is still unclear whether the reverse path can also happen, that is, whether the pathogen can pass from dogs to people.

Experts understand that this is something that still needs to be observed and studied in depth.

Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) explained that the information “is new, but not surprising”.

“This is the first such incident and we are still learning about the transmission of this virus from humans to animals,” Dr Rosamund Lewis, WHO’s monkeypox technical lead, told The Washington Post.

Virologist Clarissa Damaso, from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, agrees with the assessment and is concerned about the risk that the virus “discovers” different hosts.

“There is a great fear that involves the fact that monkeypox can find new repositories in nature, which would make it very difficult to control cases”, he analyzes.

Find out below what is known about the confirmed episode in France and what it could mean for the future of the monkeypox-related health crisis.

A new target species?

The case report was published on August 10 by researchers at the Sorbonne University in Paris.

The dog, a four-year-old Italian greyhound, started showing skin lesions twelve days after his two owners were diagnosed with monkeypox.

The individuals, male, declare themselves as men who have sex with other men, live in the same house and maintain a non-exclusive love relationship.

The first of them, aged 44, had lesions on the anus, face, ears and legs.

The second, aged 27, had wounds on his anus, legs and back.

Both also felt lack of energy, headache and fever.

The dog had small pustules on the abdomen and a small ulcer on the anus.

Other affected species

In regions of Africa where monkeypox is endemic, the virus circulates between rodents and non-human primates — before the current outbreak, one of the main forms of transmission there, including contact with these animals in nature or in transition regions of forests for cities.

In an interview with BBC News Brazil, Damaso recalls an outbreak of monkeypox that took place at the Rotterdam Zoo, in the Netherlands, in 1964.

At the time, animals of several species were infected — including even anteaters from South America.

Records from the episode show that orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas and other primates were also affected and some of them died.

More recently, during a monkeypox outbreak that occurred in the United States in the early 2000s, scientists documented that the virus passed to prairie dogs, a species of rodent that is kept as a pet by some people.

Currently, the American CDC points out that, in addition to humans, the disease can also affect:

• Squirrels
• prairie dogs
• marmots
• chinchillas
• Emin’s Purse Mice
• puppies
• porcupines
• shrews
• non-human primates

The entity admits that the virus probably also infects rats, mice and rabbits.

It is not known whether the pathogen can pass to guinea pigs, hamsters, cats, cows, camels, sheep, pigs or foxes.

Let’s be clear: the fact that these animals are possible “targets” of the pathogen does not automatically make them a threat to us. Therefore, experts assure that nothing justifies attacking or even killing these animals — as, incidentally, has already happened with some monkeys in Brazil in recent weeks.

Damaso explains that the orthopoxvirusa family of which the monkeypox is a part, have this characteristic of circulating through several animal species.

“As we speak of a virus capable of infecting different hosts, we already expected that this [a transmissão para cachorros] could happen”, he says.

One of the only exceptions to this viral group is smallpox, the virus that causes smallpox. It is very “exclusive” and, while it was not eliminated from the planet through vaccination in the 1970s, it only circulated among people.

What to do?

The general recommendation of experts is that individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of monkeypox limit contact with pets.

If possible, keep the animals in separate rooms or ask someone to take care of them while the infection is active — complete recovery from the disease happens when all skin lesions heal (even the scabs can still bring viral particles).

“In this context, it is important not to put the dog to sleep in the same bed, because it may have contact with the skin lesions or with the viruses that ended up on the sheet”, says Damaso.

“If it is not possible to distance himself from the pet, the tutor must wear a mask when he is close to the pet, do not let him touch the skin lesions and avoid hugs, caresses and games for a while”, adds the virologist.

The CDC reinforces that there is no need to bathe the animal with disinfectant, alcohol or other chemicals. The use of masks in pets is also contraindicated.

“Do not abandon or euthanize pets just because of potential exposure to monkeypox.”

In this context, it is also important to redouble the hygiene care of food and water pots, toys and pet resting places.

If the dog or cat shows any typical symptoms of monkeypox, such as lethargy, lack of appetite, cough, nasal secretions, fevers and, above all, skin lesions, it is worth taking it to a vet appointment.

Damaso understands that these precautions are essential to reduce the probability of the virus “jumping” and establishing itself in other species – which would make controlling the disease even more complicated in the future.

“Any virus that finds new reservoirs in nature becomes more difficult to eliminate”, he says.

“That’s why we need to be careful now and monitor the cases, especially in a country with a great abundance of fauna, as is the case of Brazil”, concludes the virologist.

This text was originally published here.