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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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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.