A pet dog caught monkeypox from its owners after sleeping on their bed and licking them.
According to a report in the Lancet medical journal, a non-monogamous French couple passed on monkeypox to their pet dog. Fox News reports the dog was in the same bed with the couple and licked at least one of the men before licking itself.
After the couple began showing some of the symptoms, including ulcers and rashes, they said they made sure to be careful around their pets. However, a PCR ended up showing the pup tested positive for monkeypox.
“In endemic countries, only wild animals (rodents and primates) have been found to carry monkeypox virus,” the Journal reported, Fox News reports. “However, transmission of monkeypox virus in prairie dogs has been described in the USA and in captive primates in Europe that were in contact with imported infected animals.”
The same-sex couple reportedly caught the disease after having sexual interactions with other men.