Monkeypox patients’ pet hamsters and mice face cull
Scientists warn virus could become endemic if it makes jump to animals – with rodents most at risk
PET hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs belonging to monkeypox patients should “ideally be isolated” in government laboratories, according to European health authorities. In a worst case scenario, where monitored isolation and regular testing is unfeasible, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) suggested a cull should be considered as “a last resort” to prevent the disease gaining a foothold.
So far, 90 cases have been detected across the UK – including 12 yesterday – since the virus was first identified in England earlier this month, while 344 cases have been reported in more than 20 countries worldwide.
In guidance published this week, the ECDC urged both those infected with monkeypox and their close contacts to avoid their pets, amid fears the virus could become endemic across the continent if it makes the jump to animals.
Pet rodents – including hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and mice – are considered most at risk, as they are known to be susceptible to the disease.
The ECDC said rodent pets should ideally be isolated in monitored facilities complying with respiratory isolation, such as a labs, and animal welfare facilities, such as kennels, then tested for exposure before quarantine ends. “Euthanasia should only be a last resort reserved to situations where testing and/or isolation are not feasible,” it said.
Other animals, including dogs and cats, should also be kept indoors, but can isolate at home as the risks of contracting the virus are lower.
The Daily Telegraph understands the UK Government is to publish similar advice in the coming days, asking monkeypox patients, and their close contacts, to keep their distance from animals. They will also be told to avoid their pet’s bedding, toys and litter, and urged not to feed their pet or stroke them wherever possible.
British health officials are in discussions about creating a Covid-like dashboard to track infections.
The sudden spread of viruses such as monkeypox, hepatitis, RSV and flu across the globe has been linked to the easing of coronavirus lockdowns.
“The increase in endemic viruses such as flu and RSV could be the result of two years of minimal virus circulation due to social distancing,” Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, told The Telegraph.
“[Monkeypox] could have been introduced to the UK in the past two years, but opportunities for it to spread were limited due to social distancing. Those restrictions have now gone and the virus has found a niche to circulate in.”
The UK Health Security Agency said yesterday that it had purchased an extra 20,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic Imvanex jab, which is designed to fight smallpox but also works against monkeypox, taking the stockpile to 23,000.