This case has been reported in Paris
The first official record of monkeypox transmission from human beings to animals has been reported. A report in The Lancet, has confirmed the first case of a dog with confirmed monkeypox virus infection, which it says, might have been acquired through human transmission.
The Lancet report says, two men who have sex with men attended Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France, on June 10, 2022. 12 days after the onset of symptoms in these individuals, their Italian greyhound showed lesions and pustules and later tested positive for monkeypox infection.
Read: How To Take Care Of Monkeypox Lesions
This case has been reported in Paris.
How the pet might have contracted the infection?
It has been mentioned in the report that the men were 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 (ie, 13 days before the dog started to present cutaneous manifestations)," the report adds.
So far monkeypox was proved to have been transmitted from rodents like shrews to human beings. This is the first case of a domesticated animal having this infection from an infected human being.
What are the symptoms seen in the pet dog?
12 days later, the male Italian greyhound showed mucocutaneous lesions, including abdomen pustules and a thin anal ulceration.
The dog was tested using a PCR protocol in which skin lesions and swabs from the anus and oral cavity were tested.
What are the symptoms seen in men?
The report says, the men one of whom is Latino and the other White are non-exclusive partners living in the same household. "One man is Latino, aged 44 years, and lives with HIV with undetectable viral loads on antiretrovirals; the second man is White, aged 27 years, and HIV-negative," the report says.
The patients had anal ulceration 6 days after sex with other partners. While in the first patient the symptoms progressed to vesiculopustular rash on the face, ears, and legs; the second patient rashes were seen on the legs and back.
Both the patients showed asthenia, headache and fever 4 days after the rashes were seen.
As per the US CDC, while in some cases the symptoms like fever and fatigue will appear after the rashes, in some other cases first flu like symptoms will appear and then rashes will be seen on the body.
What else did the researchers find?
The report says that the DNA sequence of both the dog and the first patient had hMPXV-1 clade, lineage B.1.
B.1 is driving a monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries since April 2022 and as of Aug 4, 2022, has infected more than 1700 people in France mostly in Paris.
Global status of Monkeypox infection
Monkeypox infection has affected more people in the countries where there has been no incidence of the infection. As per the recent report shared by the WHO, more than 35,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported to WHO from 92 countries and territories, with 12 deaths.
"Almost 7,500 cases were reported last week, a 20% increase over the previous week, which was also 20% more than the week before," the monkeypox report adds.
"The primary focus for all countries must be to ensure they are ready for monkeypox and to stop transmission using effective public health tools, including enhanced disease surveillance, careful contact tracing, tailored risk communication and community engagement, and risk reduction measures," WHO chief has cautioned people.
India has reported 9 cases of monkeypox with one death.
Monkeypox symptoms
It is very essential to remain well informed about the disease. One should know the symptoms and self isolate once they are seen.
Lesions and rashes are the distinct symptoms of the monkeypox. Other flu like symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, headache and muscle ache.
The illness lasts for 2-4 weeks.