How serious is this threat of Ebola in pets? Well, let’s look:
The answer to the loaded question posed in the headline of this article is, unfortunately, quite ambiguous. The truth is the answer could be “yes,” “no” and “maybe.” The virus has never been found in wild felines in Africa, so for cat owners, the answer is “no.” The virus closely resembles several bird viruses, but there is almost no research that has been completed on that topic, so for bird owners, the answer is “maybe.” The more pressing questions for ebola in pets is for dog owners, especially since authorities in Spain recently euthanized the seemingly healthy pet dog of a nurse who had contracted Ebola.
Can dogs contract Ebola, and can they pass it on to humans?
Research conducted in African villages that experienced Ebola outbreaks in 2001 and 2002 shows that, yes, Ebola in pets can happen to dogs. However, the good news for dogs is that they do not get sick or even show any symptoms of having the virus, and it eventually leaves their systems. Antibodies left in the dog’s blood to fight the virus are the only evidence that indicates they even had the virus.
On the bright side, it should be noted that the manner in which dogs contract Ebola in Africa is not likely to happen here or in most developed countries. Americans and Europeans feed commercial dog foods to their family pets. African dogs scavenge the terrain for small animals and the leftovers that hunters leave behind after butchering their kills. This “bushmeat” is the source of infection for many people and dogs in West Africa, and that is not likely to happen in a developed country.
To be concise, it is highly unlikely for a dog to be exposed to Ebola in our country.
Research has shown that dogs can get the virus from eating bushmeat, but no research has been completed to show whether or not they can contract it from bodily fluids, which is one way that people contract the virus. Similarly, there is no research that show whether or not dogs have the virus shed it in their saliva, vomitus, urine, or feces. To date, there have been no documented cases of Ebola in pets spreading to people from dogs or from dogs to people.
How experts are weighing in on the subject
Psychology Today recently printed an article in which a psychologist said that dogs could spread Ebola in pets by licking, biting and grooming, which has caused a furor and stoked fear among pet owners. However, an expert from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has responded to that claim by saying, “There is absolutely no evidence to support a role for dogs in transmission.”
The president of the British Veterinary Association says that since the course of the disease in dogs and their role in transmission is not known yet, “…it would be a sensible precaution to observe strict quarantine measures for animals in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of Ebola.” The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is the United States reports that it is working with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the United States Department of Agriculture to develop guidelines for pets in America, but right now there is minimal risk that a pet in the United States will get Ebola and pass it on to its owners.
In the case of the nurse in Texas who contracted Ebola, it appears that the authorities agree with CDC and the president of the British Veterinary Association. Her pet dog is being kept in a comfortable quarantine and handled by workers wearing appropriate gear so that the pet can receive attention and socialization during its quarantine period.
Everything is pointing to minimal risk, but we should always be on guard!
Even the psychologist who created the recent furor was quoted as saying, “the possibility of dogs catching Ebola certainly exists, but in North America, Europe and other areas in the world that are not adjacent to the affected countries in central Africa, the chances of actually contracting the disease is extremely low.” To summarize, the possibility of dogs catching the disease is minimal, and there have been no documented reports of the virus spreading from dogs to people. In the single case to date in which a dog in America might have been exposed to the virus, authorities are handling it humanely with a comfortable quarantine.