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Monkeypox patients urged to avoid contact with pet rodents
"No cases of monkeypox have ever been suspected or reported in pets in the UK and the risk remains low" - CVO Christine Middlemiss.

The UKHSA has raised concerns that the virus could get into domestic animals.


Pet owners who develop monkeypox are being advised to avoid close contact with their animals for three weeks.

An assessment by the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) stressed that while the risk to humans remains very low, hamsters, guinea pigs and other rodents could acquire the virus from their owners and spread it to other wild rodents.

According to the government, no cases have been found in pets so far, and the risk to the human population remains minimal.

Speaking to BBC News, Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, said: "The worry is the virus could get into domestic animals and essentially ping-pong between them and humans. If you are not careful you might create an animal reservoir for the disease that could result in it spreading back into humans, and we'll be in a loop of infection."

On Friday (27 May), the UKHSA announced 16 more monkeypox cases in England, bringing the total number of patients to 101. There are also three cases in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

The guidance recommends pet rodents that have been in close contact with an infected human should be isolated for 21 days and removed for testing. It states that other pets, such as cats and dogs, should be maintained 'under household isolation with regular vet checks to ensure no clinical signs are observed.'

England's chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said: "No cases of monkeypox have ever been suspected or reported in pets in the UK and the risk remains low. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with veterinary and public health colleagues, both in the UK and across the world, to manage the animal health associated risks with monkeypox."

Separate advice published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control last week states that rodents 'should ideally be isolated in monitored facilities, complying with respiratory isolation and animal welfare conditions and tested for exposure before quarantine ends.

It adds that euthanasia should only be a 'last resort reserved to situations where testing and/or isolation are not feasible'. Other pets can continue to quarantine at home so long as they receive regular veterinary checks.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.