- An Italian greyhound tested positive for monkeypox in Paris after its owners contracted the virus.
- The owners developed pus-filled blisters and fevers 12 days before the dog also got a rash.
- A veterinary virologist said human-to-dog transmission is likely rare and not a major threat.
Researchers described the first suspected canine monkeypox case in a dog that shared a bed with its infectious owners, and the case, raising new questions for researchers about human-to-animal transmission.
The dog owners, two men in a non-exclusive partnership, began experiencing symptoms of monkeypox at the end of May when they presented at a hospital in Paris, according to a report published in the Lancet on August 10.
Both men developed fevers, fatigue, and headaches after noticing pus-filled blisters on their bodies. They were careful to avoid contact with other people from the onset of their symptoms, and they quarantined their 4-year-old Italian greyhound as well.
The dog developed pus-filled blisters on its stomach and a small anal lesion about 12 days after the humans in the house began showing symptoms. Testing revealed that both the men and the dog were infected with identical monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox is known to infect a wide variety of mammals, and scientists are still learning which species can transmit the virus. Before this case, there were no reports of sick people spreading monkeypox to animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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