The current outbreak of monkeypox virus in Europe and America has surpassed the COVID-19 epidemic and become the focus disease of the world. A recent American news “pet owners with monkeypox virus infected the virus to dogs” caused panic of many pet owners. Will monkeypox spread between people and pets? Will pets face a new wave of accusations and dislikes by people?

First of all, it is definite that monkeypox can be spread among animals, but we do not need be panic at all. We need to understand monkeypox first (the data and tests in the following articles are published by the US Centers for Disease Control and prevention).

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, which indicates that can be transmitted between animals and people. It is caused by a positive pox virus, which mainly uses some small mammals as hosts to survive. Humans are infected through direct contact with infected animals. They are often infected with the virus when hunting or touching the skin and body fluids of infected animals. Most small mammals will not get sick after carrying the virus, while non-human primates (monkeys and apes) may be infected with monkeypox and show disease manifestations.

In fact, monkeypox is not a new virus, but many people are very sensitive after the

outbreak of new coronavirus. In the United States in 2003, monkeypox virus broke out after artificially raised marmots and a group of infected small mammals from West Africa shared a set of cage supplies. At that time, 47 human cases in six states of

the United States were infected, which became the best example of monkeypox virus

from animals to animals and animals to humans.

Monkeypox virus can infect a variety of mammals, such as monkeys, anteaters, hedgehogs, squirrels, dogs, etc. At present, there is only one report that people infected with monkeypox virus were transmitted to a dog. At present, scientists are still studying which animals will be infected with monkeypox virus. However, no reptiles (snakes, lizards, turtles), amphibians (frogs) or birds have been found to be infected.

Monkeypox virus can be caused by skin rash (we often say red envelope, scab, pus) and infected body fluid (including respiratory secretions, sputum, saliva and even urine and feces, but whether they can be used as transmission carriers needs to be further determined. Not all animals will develop rashes when infected with the virus. What can be determined is that infected people can transmit monkeypox virus to their pets through close contact, such as hugging, touching, kissing, licking, sleeping together and sharing food.

Because there are few pets infected with monkeypox at present, there is also a lack of corresponding experience and information, and it is impossible to accurately describe the performance of pets infected with monkeypox. We can only list a few points that require special attention of pet owners:

1: First, your pet has come into contact with a person who has been diagnosed and has not recovered from monkeypox within 21 days;

2: Your pet has lethargy, loss of appetite, cough, nose and eye discharge, abdominal distension, fever and skin rash blisters. For example, the skin rash of dogs currently occurs near the abdomen and anus.

If the pet owner is really infected with monkeypox virus, how can he/she avoid infecting his/her pet?

1.Monkeypox is transmitted through close contact. If the pet owner does not have close contact with the pet after symptoms, the pet should be safe. Friends or family members can help take care of the pet, and then disinfect the home after recovery, and then take the pet home.

2.If the pet owner has had close contact with the pet after the symptoms, the pet should be isolated at home for 21 days after the last contact and kept away from other animals and people. The infected pet owner should not continue to take care of the pet. However, if the family has a history of low immunity, pregnancy, children under 8 years old or skin sensitivity, it is recommended that the pet be sent out for foster care and isolation.

If the pet owner has monkeypox and can only take care of the healthy pet himself, the following points should be followed to ensure that the pet is not infected:

1. Wash hands with hand sanitizer containing alcohol before and after taking care of pets;

2.Wear long sleeved clothes to cover the skin as much as possible, and wear gloves and masks to avoid direct contact of skin and secretions with pets;

3. Minimize close contact with pets;

4. Make sure that pets do not inadvertently touch contaminated clothes, sheets and towels at home. Don’t let pets contact rash drugs, bandages, etc;

5. Ensure that pets’ toys, food and daily necessities will not directly contact the patient’s skin;

6. When the pet is not around, use alcohol and other disinfectants to disinfect the pet bedding, fences and tableware. Do not shake or shake the method that may spread infectious particles to remove the dust.

What we have discussed above is how pet owners can avoid transmitting monkeypox virus to their pets, because there is no evidence and case to prove that pets can transmit monkeypox virus to people. Therefore, we hope that all pet owners can protect their pets, do not forget wear masks for their pets, do not abandon and euthanize their pets due to potential contact or infection with monkeypox virus, and do not use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, hand sanitizer, wet tissue and other chemicals to wipe and bathe pets, facing diseases scientifically, do not blindly do harm to pets because of tension and fear.