In what appears to be the first documented instance of monkeypox spreading from humans to animals, a dog was likely infected with the virus by its owners in France, scientists say.
The development, reported in the Lancet medical journal, underscores guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that urges people with suspected or confirmed monkeypox infections to avoid contact with animals — including their pets — while they’re infectious.
The France case occurred in a household where two men live with their male Italian greyhound. The dog slept in the same bed with its owners. The greyhound developed symptoms 12 days after the owners did, according to the report.
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