Monkeypox and Pets

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Monkeypox virus particles in skin from an infected monkey (900× magnification). Public domain image from CDC, 1968.

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease; it spreads between animals and humans. In the United States, the chance that a person will catch monkeypox from a pet or give monkeypox to a pet is very low. Transmission between people and pets is possible, though, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed monkeypox guidance for pet owners.
 
This article summarizes information from the CDC and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and is current as of August 24, 2022. See these links for updates:

• Monkeypox: pets in the home (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/specific-settings/pets-in-homes.html
• Monkeypox (AVMA): https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/one-health/veterinarians-and-public-health/monkeypox

 
How Monkeypox Spreads
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys and since then has been found in many animal species. Rodents and other small mammals (not monkeys) are thought to be the reservoir species that maintain the virus.
 
Human infection was first reported in 1970 in Africa, and monkeypox has occasionally appeared in other parts of the world. The United States had an outbreak in 2003 after pet prairie dogs were housed with infected animals from Ghana. The 2022 global monkeypox outbreak has involved at least 75 countries.
 
The monkeypox virus is related to the virus that causes smallpox. The virus infects the host through the respiratory tract, mouth, eyes, or broken skin. These are some of the ways people and animals are infected:

• Direct contact with skin lesions (rash or scabs) or body fluids of an infected individual
• Contact with contaminated surfaces or objects
• Contact with respiratory secretions
• Being bitten or scratched by an infected animal
• Eating meat from an infected animal

Most transmission during the 2022 outbreak has been through close, direct contact with an infected person.
 
Animals at Risk
One pet dog has contracted monkeypox, most likely from direct contact with its owners (this was the first reported case of human-to-animal transmission). Chinchillas, prairie dogs, and some types of rabbits, mice, and rats can be infected with the monkeypox virus. Many wild mammals are also susceptible to infection. Cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and cows can be infected with other viruses in the same genus as monkeypox, but whether they can also be infected with the monkeypox virus is not yet known. The CDC says that it’s best to assume that any mammal can be infected. There have been no reports of infection in animals that are not mammals.
 
Signs of Monkeypox in Animals
These are some of the signs that infected animals have developed:

• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Cough
• Runny or crusty nose
• Runny or crusty eyes
• Red eyes
• Low energy
• Decreased appetite
• Bloating
• In some animals, skin lesions (bumps, pimples, blisters, rash)

 
These symptoms are nonspecific. Many conditions that are much more common than monkeypox cause the same symptoms in animals. Diagnosing monkeypox requires laboratory tests.
 
Precautions for Pet Owners: CDC Guidance

• People with monkeypox should stay away from animals and avoid close contact with pets: no petting, hugging, kissing, sleeping with, or sharing food with animals.
• If an infected person did not have close contact with pets after developing symptoms, the pets should be cared for by someone in a different household until the infected person has recovered.
• If an infected person did have close contact with pets after developing symptoms, the pets should be kept at home, away from other people and animals, for 21 days after the most recent contact.
• People at risk of severe disease from monkeypox infection (children younger than 8 years and people who have compromised immunity, are pregnant, or have a history of atopic dermatitis or eczema) should not take care of pets that have been exposed to monkeypox. Pets in this situation might need to be isolated and cared for somewhere other than at home.
• An infected person who must take care of pets should wash hands, cover skin lesions, wear gloves, and wear a mask or respirator around the pets. Pets should not come in contact with potentially contaminated objects like clothing or bedding. The infected person’s skin should not come into direct contact with pet objects like toys, food, bedding, and bowls.
• Do not put a mask on an animal.
• Do not apply disinfectants or household cleaners to animals.

 
If You Think Your Pet Has Monkeypox: CDC Guidance

• Have your pet tested if your pet has had close contact with a person with confirmed or probable monkeypox and your pet develops new skin lesions or 2 of the other signs of monkeypox (fever, cough, runny or crusty eyes or nose, low energy, low appetite, or bloating).
• Call your veterinarian if your pet develops any symptoms of illness within 21 days of having contact with a person with confirmed or probable monkeypox.
• Keep sick pets away from other animals and minimize their contact with people for at least 21 days after their symptoms begin.
• Sick pets should be kept at home, isolated from people who have not had monkeypox. People at increased risk from monkeypox (children younger than 8 years and people with compromised immunity, pregnancy, or a history of atopic dermatitis or eczema) should not take care of sick animals that were exposed to a person with monkeypox.
• When caring for an animal with symptoms of monkeypox, use personal protective equipment: gloves, eye protection, face mask or respirator, and either a disposable gown or clothes that cover the arms and legs. Wash your hands and clothes (if you didn’t use a disposable gown) afterward.
• Don’t throw contaminated waste outdoors where it might infect wildlife. Flush animal waste down the toilet if possible.
• Seal contaminated disposable items in a bag.
• Disinfect items that have been in contact with infected animals.
• Don’t shake out soiled bedding; shaking it could send infectious particles into the air.
• It is not necessary to surrender or euthanize a pet just because of monkeypox exposure or infection.

 
Sources
Monkeypox. American Veterinary Medical Association. Accessed August 24, 2022. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/one-health/veterinarians-and-public-health/monkeypox
Monkeypox in animals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated August 17, 2022. Accessed August 24, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/veterinarian/monkeypox-in-animals.html
Monkeypox: pets in the home. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated August 17, 2022. Accessed August 24, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/specific-settings/pets-in-homes.html
Seang S, Burrel S, Todesco E, et al. Evidence of human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox virus. Lancet. 2022:S0140-6736(22)01487-8. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01487-8
 
Image source: CDC  

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