M0NKEYP0X
M0NKEYP0X
GUIDELINES & RECOMMENDATIONS
Monkeypox Infections in Animals: Interim Guidance for Persons Who Have Frequent Contact with Animals, Including Pet Owners, Pet Shop Employees, Animal Handlers, and Animal Control Officers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working closely with several state and local health departments and Other partners to investigate cases of monkeypox virus infections among humans who had direct or close contact with ill prairie dogs, a Gambian rat, and a rabbit that was housed in a veterinary clinic with an ill prairie dog. Exposure to ill animals would have occurred after April 15, 2003.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that typically occurs among animals and people in central and west Africa. In humans, the illness produces a blister-like rash similar to that of smallpox. Time from contact with a sick animal to the beginning of fever in a person is usually about 12 days. Through June 11 in the United States, most infected persons had illness that was relatively mild to moderate in severity, and there had been no deaths from monkeypox; however, the disease ran be severe, and in Africa about 1% to 10% of human cases are fatal (for additional information about monkeypox, see www.cdc.Qov/ncidod/eid/vol7no3/hutinGI.htm).
This document provides interim guidance for persons who have frequent contact with animals. It will be updated as new information becomes available and after consultation with additional public health partners.
Spread of Monkeypox
Humans appear to get monkeypox mainly from direct contact with infected animals. Limited human-to-human spread of monkeypox h-s been reported among people in rural Africa, most likely as a result of direct contact (i.e., skin-to-skirt) or contact with respiratory droplets during prolonged close contact. How animals become infected is lest clear. The virus might be transmitted to animals through droplets entering the nose, mouth, skin :cuts, or scrapes or through consumption of infected animal tissue.
Monkeypox Infection in U.S Animals
In the current U.S. outbreak, illness in animals has been reported to include fever, cough, discharge from the eyes, and enlarged lymph nodes, followed by a bumpy or blister-like rash. Some animals have died and others have recovered. The types of animals that may become ill with monkeypox are currently unknown. Until more information is available, it is prudent to assume that any mammal, including common household pets (e.g., ,logs, cats) and "pocket pets" %e.g., hamsters or gerbils), can get monkeypox if exposed to another animal that is infected.
Quarantine of Exposed Animals .
Any mammal that has come in contact with (i.e., lived in the same house, or come from the same pet store or other pet facility) an animal known to have monkeypox is considered exposed and should be placed under 30-day quarantine. This means that the exposed animal should be placed in a room with a closed door and kept away from all other animals and persons for 30 days from the date of exposure or purchase. The amount of time spent with the exposed animal should be limited. Immunocompromised persons should not care for all ill animal or an animal that is under a 30-day quarantine. After feeding or caring for the animal, change clothes and wash hands thoroughly with soap and hot water before having contact with other persons or animals. If the animal shows signs of illness during the 30-day period, the local or state health department should be contacted immediately for advice on what to do with the animal. See the following website for help in contacting state and local health departments www.cdc.gov/other.htm#states.
During the 30-day quarantine, persons with an exposed or sick anima! need to carefully watch themselves and other members of their household for signs of illness that could be monkeypox. If a fever or other signs of illness develop, a hearth care provider and state or local health department should be contacted immediately.
What to Do with Exposed Animals That Cannot be Quarantined Some people may find it difficult to care for exposed animals in quarantine or may be concerned that they or their household members night become ill from contact with their animal during the quarantine period. In such cases, pet owners may decide they do not want to keep the animal. Persons who do not wish to keep these animals should contact their state or focal health department for advice. In some cases, the health department may recommend the animal be taken to a veterinarian to be cared for during the 30day quarantine, or they may recommend humane euthanasia of the animal. In some cases, the health department may collect the animal. Do not take the animal to a veterinarian without calling first and explaining that the animal has seen exposed to monkeypox (see the Transport section below). Do not abandon animals at shelters o,- release them back into the wild; the animals cannot survive and could cause monkeypox in wild animals.
If the animal dies, the state on local health department should be contacted for advice on what to do with the body. Do not throw the animal's body away in household trash or at a dump or landfill. Do not bury the animal's body on your property.
Management of ill Animals
If an animal develops signs of monkeypox, the state or local health department should be contacted. The health department may collect the animal. If the health department recommends that the anima! be taken to a veterinarian, notify the veterinary clinic about the animal prior to transport. The veterinarian should make arrangements for the animal to be brought into the clinic safely, without entering the waiting room. One person should transport tie ill animal. During transport, the animal should be confined in a closed container (e.g., place the cage in a cardboard box with a few air-holes). Following transport, the area of the vehicle where the animal w-is confined should be cleaned and disinfected. Standard household cleaners or disinfectants may be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Cleaning of Household after Removal of an Anima) with Monkeypox
Contaminated surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected. Standard household cleaners or disinfectants may be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Do not dispose of the bedding and cage with the household trash or at a dump or landfill because this material may be potentially infectious; contact the state or local health department for further instructions.
Contaminated clothes or other types of laundry may be washed at home on the hot-water cycle at the highest temperature possible with detergent followed by hot-air drying. The use of chlorine bleach during hot-water washing can provide, an additional measure of safety.
Care of Animals by Humans Infected with Monkeypox
It is unknown whether persons with monkeypox can spread the disease to their animals. Persons with monkeypox should limit their contact with mammalian pets, including cats, dogs, and pocket pets. Pets should not be allowed to share an ill owner's bed -and -should not be allowed to have contact with clothing and other materials that have -come into contact with en infected person's skin lesions. Persons with monkeypox should minimize contact with animals until the health care provider says it is safe to resume normal activities.
Additional Information
For more information, contact the state or local health department or the CDC Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100. Additional information and recommendations will be released as they become available. Updated information will be available at www.cdc.gov.
For more information, visit Iwww.cdc.govJncidodJmonkeypox or call the CDC public response hotline at (888) 246-2675 (English), (888) 246-2857 (Espanol), or (866) 874-2646 (TTY)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES _
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
SAFER- HEALTHIER- PEOPLE