The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has advised monkey flu sufferers to avoid all contact with their pets for 21 days.
Hamsters and other rodents are particularly susceptible to the disease, although although no cases have yet been reported in pets in the UK, the monkey box can be transmitted by animals.
“The concern is that the virus could enter the ping-pong between pets and humans.”Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, was quoted as saying BBC.
“If you’re not careful, you can create an animal reservoir for disease that can be polluted by humans from these animals.”He added.
Under the guidance of UKHSA and other British health officials, guinea pigs, rats and other rodents should be removed from the victim’s home and tested for 21 years.
Other pets such as dogs and cats should be isolated and subjected to regular veterinary inspections.
However, UK Veterinary Director Christine Middlemis said: “No suspected cases of monkey flu have been detected in UK pets and the risk is low.” “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with veterinary and public health colleagues in the UK and abroad to manage the risks associated with animal health.”He insisted, and quoted BBC.
The European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) has also pointed out that pets infected with monkey flu should be monitored and isolated in tested facilities before the end of the isolation period.
The document states that rodents are more susceptible to infection and disease than humans, but should be killed only as a last resort in situations where isolating animals is not possible.
The European Institute also points out that large animals such as dogs can be isolated at home.
The ECDC fears that human-infecting pets could lead to the virus establishing itself in European wildlife, although it describes the risk as “extremely low”.
The Directorate of Health (DGS) said on Friday that the number of confirmed cases of monkey box virus in Portugal was 74, which is exploring the possibility of vaccinating cases and contacts with health professionals.
The disease, named after the virus, was first identified in humans in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970, and since the virus was first detected in 1958, two outbreaks of malaria-like disease have occurred in captive monkey colonies. Inquiry – hence the name “monkey” (“monkey” means monkey and “box” large).
