Coolridge Animal Hospital: We Have Compiled Some FAQ's with Regard to Companion Animals and the Possibility of Disease and Zoonosis

Many Americans are in fear of and concerned about Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) spreading to the United States. We have compiled some FAQ’s with regard to companion animals and the possibility of disease and zoonosis.

Here are highlights from both the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about EVD and transmission in our pets. Please visit the CDC or AVMA  websites for the most up to date information as this information as it can change quickly.

From the AVMA:

Q: What is the risk of exposure to the Ebola virus in the U.S.?

A: The relative risk of exposure to the Ebola virus in the U.S. is extremely low, as there have been only a small number of isolated human cases and no known animal cases.


Q: Is there a vaccine for Ebola?

A: Unfortunately, there are no approved vaccines, drugs, or products specifically for Ebola available for purchase online or in stores.


Q: Can dogs or other pets get the Ebola virus from humans, or transmit it to them?

A: Although EVD is a zoonotic disease, there has not been evidence of its transmission to humans from dogs. Indeed, it is not even known if dogs are capable of contracting and then transmitting the disease. A study analyzing the 2001-2002 Ebola virus outbreak in Gabon found antibodies against the virus in about 25% of dogs in the affected area, but no virus was found in them. Furthermore, none of the animals showed signs or died of the disease during the study period. The study only indicated that the animals had encountered the Ebola virus.


Q: What if a pet is in contact with an Ebola virus patient?

A: The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) calls for quarantine, not euthanasia, for dogs exposed to Ebola.

The CDC recommends that if a pet is in the home of an EVD patient, veterinarians, in collaboration with public health officials, should evaluate the pet’s risk of exposure (e.g. - close contact and exposure to blood or body fluids of an EVD patient.) Appropriate measures, such as closely monitoring the exposed pet while using necessary precautions, should be taken based on that evaluation.


Q: What about risks of Ebola from other animals?

A: The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) states there is no evidence domestic animals play an active role in the transmission of disease to humans. Researchers believe that in Africa the spread of Ebola is a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. The human patient can then spread the infection through direct contact (not through air, water, or generally by food.)

From the CDC:

Q: Here in the United States, are our dogs and cats at risk of becoming sick with Ebola?

A: The risk of an Ebola outbreak affecting multiple people in the United States is very low. Therefore, the risk to pets is also very low, as they would have to come into contact with blood and body fluids of a person with Ebola. Even in areas in Africa where Ebola is present, there have been no reports of dogs and cats becoming sick with Ebola.


Q: Can I get Ebola from my dog or cat?

A: At this time, there have been no reports of dogs or cats becoming sick with Ebola or of being able to spread Ebola to people or animals.


Q: Can my pet’s body, fur, or paws spread Ebola to a person?

A: We do not yet know whether or not a pet’s body, paws, or fur can pick up and spread Ebola to people or other animals. It is important to keep people and animals away from blood or body fluids of a person with symptoms of Ebola infection.


Q: What if there is a pet in the home of an Ebola patient?

A: CDC recommends that public health officials, in collaboration with a veterinarian, evaluate the pet’s risk of exposure to the virus (close contact or exposure to blood or body fluids of an Ebola patient). Based on this evaluation as well as the specific situation, local and state human and animal health officials will determine how the pet should be handled.


Q: Can I get my dog or cat tested for Ebola?

A: There would not be any reason to test a dog or cat for Ebola if there was no exposure to a person infected with Ebola. Currently, routine testing for Ebola is not available for pets.


Q: What are the requirements for bringing pets or other animals into the United States from West Africa?

A: CDC regulations require that dogs and cats imported into the United States be healthy. Dogs must be vaccinated against rabies before arrival into the United States. Monkeys and African rodents are not allowed to be imported as pets under any circumstances.

Each state and U.S. Territory has its own rules for pet ownership and importation, and these rules may be different from federal regulations. Airlines may have additional requirements.

Q: Can monkeys spread Ebola?

A: Yes, monkeys are at risk for Ebola. Symptoms of Ebola infection in monkeys include fever, decreased appetite, and sudden death. Monkeys should not be allowed to have contact with anyone who may have Ebola. Healthy monkeys already living in the United States and without exposure to a person infected with Ebola are not at risk for spreading Ebola.


Q: Can bats spread Ebola?

A: Fruit bats in Africa are considered to be a natural reservoir for Ebola. Bats in North America are not known to carry Ebola and so CDC considers the risk of an Ebola outbreak from bats occurring in the United States to be very low. However, bats here are known to carry rabies and other diseases.


Q: Where can I find more information about Ebola and pet dogs and cats?

A: CDC is currently working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and many other partners to develop additional guidance for the U.S. pet population. Additional information and guidance will be posted on this website, as well as partner websites, as soon as it becomes available.


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Ebola Virus: Australian Researchers Use Ferrets to Develop Vaccine for Deadly Disease

Australian researchers infecting ferrets to understand the deadly Ebola VIRUS at the CSIRO in Geelong said a vaccine would not come fast enough to stop the current outbreak.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 650 people have been killed in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since an outbreak began in February.

The doctor leading Sierra Leone's fight against Ebola died on Tuesday afternoon (local time) from the virus.

There is no cure for the disease, which causes vomiting, diarrhea and internal and external bleeding.

To read more on this story, click here: Ebola Virus: Australian Researchers Use Ferrets to Develop Vaccine for Deadly Disease

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Spanish Nurse Free of Ebola, Not Told About Dog

This is an undated image released on Wednesday Oct. 8, 2014 by animal rights organisation PACMA, of Teresa Romero, the nursing assistant who is infected with Ebola in Madrid, with her dog named Excalibur. Officials in Madrid got a court order to euthanize the pet dog of Spanish nursing assistant Romero, because of the chance the animal might spread the disease. At least one major study suggests that dogs can be infected with the deadly Ebola virus without showing symptoms, but whether or how likely they are to spread it to people is less clear.

To read more on this story, click here: Spanish Nurse Free of Ebola, Not Told About Dog FOLLOW US!

Ebola: The Wildlife Connection

Ebola, stemming from the depths of West Africa, spanning the oceans, now creeping into the U.S. What does Ebola have to do with wildlife? Everything. 75 percent of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin.

It is contracted through contact with infected wildlife, i.e. through handling of or ingesting of infected animals. Chimpanzees and bats are the animals most often cited as carriers, but they are not the only animals.

To read more on this story, click here: Ebola: The Wildlife Connection

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Ebola and Pets

A Spanish Ebola patient's dog was euthanized by the Spanish government due to fears that the dog could also be carrying the virus. Bentley, a dog owned by a Dallas, Texas nurse who contracted the virus, will not be euthanized, but kept in a safe location to await a reunion with its owner. The dog will be quarantined for 21 days, according to the Dallas Office of Emergency Management. A veterinarian will be checking Bentley daily.

With these cases in the news, pet owners may be wondering if there is a risk to their pets from the Ebola virus, or to themselves or the public from contact with their pets.

To read more on this story, click here: Ebola and Pets

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The Ebola Virus and Pets

DogTime recently reported on officials in Spain euthanizing a dog for being exposed to Ebola. This week in the U.S., a dog living with a Texas nurse who became infected with Ebola was placed in quarantine.

The nurse, Nina Pham, 26, was identified as the first person to contract the Ebola virus in the U.S. Pham, who was caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian Ebola victim who died of the disease, got infected through what’s been called a breach in protocol at her hospital while she cared for Duncan.

To read more on this story, click here: The Ebola Virus and Pets FOLLOW US!

Texas Nurse Nina Pham Receives a Blood Transfusion from Survivor Dr. Kent Brantly

The Texan nurse diagnosed with Ebola has received a blood transfusion from survivor Dr. Kent Brantly.

It is the third time Dr. Brantly has donated blood to an Ebola victim after medics discovered he had the same blood type as previous patient Dr. Nick Sacra and NBC cameraman Ashoka Mukpo, who is still being treated.

Incredibly, nurse Nina Pham, 26, has also matched with Dr. Brantly and on Monday received a transfusion of his blood in a move that doctors believe could save her life. 

Miss Pham has been in quarantine since Friday after catching the disease from 'patient zero' Thomas Eric Duncan - the man who brought the deadly virus to America. 

About 70 staff members at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital were involved in the care of Mr. Duncan after he was hospitalized, including the 26-year-old.

Brantly is believed to have traveled to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where Pham worked, to make the donation on Sunday night.

Miss Pham's condition was described as 'clinically stable' on Tuesday morning. She is believed to be in good spirits and had spoken to her mother via Skype. 

A second person who came in contact with the nurse is being monitored for Ebola symptoms in an isolation unit at Texas Presbyterian. He is reportedly Miss Pham's boyfriend according to Dallas News. 

The individual works at Alcon in Fort Worth, according to a staff email seen by CBS. 

Those who have survived Ebola have antibodies in their blood which can help new sufferers beat the disease.

Dr. Kent Brantly was flown back from Liberia to the U.S. after contracting Ebola during his missionary work for Samaritan's Purse.

He survived after receiving a dose of the experimental serum Z-Mapp and round-the-clock care at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. 

On September 10, Dr. Brantly donated blood to a fellow doctor, Dr. Rick Sacra, who also contracted Ebola during his work in West Africa and survived the disease.

Last Tuesday, he was on a road trip from Indiana to Texas when he received a call from Ashoka Mukpo's medical center in Nebraska telling him his blood type matched Mukpo’s. 

He also offered his blood to Thomas Eric Duncan but their blood types didn't match. 

Within minutes, he stopped off at the Community Blood Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and his donation was flown to Omaha.

Pham was diagnosed after admitting herself to hospital on Friday when her temperature spiked – one of the first symptoms of the deadly virus. 

A blood test confirmed she had the disease and she is now being treated in an isolation ward. 

The Emergency Room where she was admitted was cleared and decontaminated.

Nina Pham's uncle confirmed that she is the nurse who has contracted Ebola while treating patient zero Thomas Eric Duncan.

Jason Nguyen told MailOnline that "Nina has contracted Ebola, she is my niece. Her mother called me on Saturday and told me; 'Nina has caught Ebola."

"My sister is very upset, we all are. She said she was going up to the hospital in Dallas and I haven't heard from her since. I've tried to call but I can't get through. It's very shocking. I don't know any of the details, only what I hear on the news. It's frightening."

"Nina is very hard working. She is always up at the hospital in Dallas", he said.

HazChem teams spent the weekend fumigating her apartment in Dallas while health officials have ordered an investigation into how she contracted the disease.

Her beloved King Charles Spaniel Bentley will not be destroyed and is being quarantined, Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings has assured.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) Dr. Thomas Frieden has blamed a 'breach in protocol' of infection control lead Miss Pham to catch Ebola.

Mr. Duncan arrived in Texas from Liberia on September 20. He began showing symptoms of Ebola three days after his arrival and was admitted to Texas Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday 28. He died on Wednesday October 8. 

Presbyterian's chief clinical officer, Dr. Dan Varga, said all staff had followed CDC recommended precautions – 'gown, glove, mask and shield' – while treating Mr. Duncan.
And on Monday the CDC said that a critical moment may have come when Miss Pham took off her equipment. 

Ebola victims suffer chronic diarrhea and bleeding. But blood and feces from an Ebola patient are considered the most infectious bodily fluids.

Mr. Duncan also underwent two surgical procedures in a bid to keep him alive but which are particularly high-risk for transmitting the virus – kidney dialysis and incubation to help him to breathe – due to the spread of blood and saliva.

Nurses' leader Bonnie Castillo, has criticized the CDC for blaming the nurse for the spread of the disease.

Ms. Castillo, of the National Nurses United, said, "You don't scapegoat and blame when you have a disease outbreak. We have a system failure. That is what we have to correct."

In response to the criticism, Frieden clarified his comments to say that he did not mean it was an error on Miss Pham's part that led to the 'breach of protocol.'

The CDC said on Monday it has launched a wholesale review of the procedures and equipment used by healthcare workers. 

Dr. Frieden added that the case 'substantially' changes how medical staff approach the control of the virus, adding that: 'We have to rethink how we address Ebola control, because even a single infection is unacceptable.' 

Friends and well-wishers have paid tribute to Miss Pham and praised her as a big-hearted, compassionate nurse dedicated to caring for other.

Raised in a Vietnamese family in Fort Worth, she graduated from Texas Christian University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

She obtained her nursing license in August 2010 and recently qualified as a critical care nurse.

Hung Le, who is president and counselor at Our Lady of Fatima, said parishioners are uniting in prayer for Miss Pham.

He said, "our most important concern as a church is to help the family as they are coping with this. As a parish, we are praying for them."

"People are more worried for the family than for themselves, but some have questions because they don’t really understand what it is or how it is transmitted."

The World Health Organization on Monday called the Ebola outbreak "the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times."

It added that economic disruption can be curbed if people are educated so they don't make any irrational moves to dodge infection.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, citing World Bank figures, said 90 per cent of economic costs of any outbreak "come from irrational and disorganized efforts of the public to avoid infection."

"We are seeing, right now, how this virus can disrupt economies and societies around the world," and added "that adequately educating the public was a 'good defense strategy' and would allow governments to prevent economic disruptions."

Ebola screening of passengers arriving from three West African countries began at New York's JFK airport on Saturday.

Medical teams equipped with temperature guns and questionnaires are monitoring arrivals from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – countries at the centre of the Ebola outbreak.

Screening at Newark Liberty, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta will begin later this week. 

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Dallas Ebola Patient's Dog Will Not Be Euthanized

Dallas, Texas - The health worker who tested positive for Ebola has a dog, but the mayor of Dallas says unlike in a recent Spanish case, the dog will be kept safe for eventual reunion with its owner.

Mayor Mike Rawlings told USA Today that the dog remained in the health worker's apartment when she was hospitalized and will soon be shipped to a new location to await its owner's recovering.

There are no plans to euthanize the dog, he said.

"This was a new twist," Rawlings said. "The dog's very important to the patient and we want it to be safe."

There were no immediate details on the name or type of dog.

Brad Smith, of CG Environmental, will lead the effort to decontaminate the patient's East Dallas apartment. He said he has been alerted that the patient's dog is still inside and will work with members of the local SPCA branch and Dallas animal control officials to help remove it from the apartment.

"We'll assist with that," Smith said. "We have the [personal protection equipment] that needs to be worn."

In Spain, the Madrid regional government said last Wednesday that it had euthanized Excalibur, the pet of the Spanish worker being treated. It was sedated to avoid suffering and after death its corpse was "put into a sealed biosecurity device and transferred for incineration at an authorized disposal facility," according to a statement from the Madrid government, Associated Press reported.

Spanish officials said the dog was killed because it posed a risk of transmitting the disease to humans. There is no documented case of Ebola spreading to people from dogs. But at least one major study suggests dogs can get the disease without showing symptoms. Experts say they are uncertain of what risk that poses to humans.

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Rally to Save Ebola Nurse's Dog Falls Short - The Animal Will be Incinerated

Update, 1:35 p.m. EDT: Despite protests, the dog owned by a Spanish nurse diagnosed with Ebola has been put down, officials in Madrid said Wednesday. The animal will be incinerated, the officials said.

To read more on this story, click here: Ebola Nurse's Dog Falls Short

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Spanish Health Officials Obtain Order to Kill Ebola Nurse's Dog

The husband of the Spanish nurse who was diagnosed with Ebola is denouncing health officials who told him their dog would have to be killed as a precaution.

To read more on this story, click here: Spanish Health Officials Obtain Order to Kill Ebola Nurse's Dog

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