A dog belonging to a same-sex couple in France has contracted the monkeypox virus from his owners. According to multiple sources, the male couple, in an open relationship, have been dealing with “extensive” open lesions and rashes since June, and their dog, an Italian greyhound, is believed to have contracted the contagious virus after licking them, and then himself.
The Lancet Medical Journal said:
“The men reported co-sleeping with their dog. They had been careful to prevent their dog from contact with other pets or humans from the onset of their own symptoms.”
The dog was PCR tested after developing pustules on the stomach; it is the first reported case of a pet contracting the virus from humans. Health officials are urging at-risk individuals to quarantine away from their pets to prevent spreading the virus.
Currently, there are over 10,000 reported cases of monkeypox in the United States and though the virus rarely causes death, it does cause painful, unsightly lesions that are sometimes severe enough to require the patient to seek professional assistance for pain management. In immune-compromised people, antiviral treatment may be necessary.
Other symptoms of monkeypox include fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches, and respiratory symptoms. According to the CDC, symptoms usually appear within three weeks of exposure to the virus, and the illness lasts 2 to 4 weeks.
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