If you live in the United States, you’ve likely heard news media talking about Ebola. Americans have learned that Ebola virus is spread by close contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit. The risk to the American general population is very low, though you may have also heard that a Dallas nurse by the name of Nina Pham, who was caring for an Ebola patient, was later diagnosed with Ebola. This nurse was working very closely with the patient, and was thus exposed. Her dog, Bentley, was quarantined and is being tested for Ebola virus for the 21-day quarantine period.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is being cautious with this dog, there have been no reports of dogs or cats falling ill with Ebola, nor is there any evidence that pets can spread the virus to other people or pets.
While the information available suggests that the virus may be found in several kinds of animals, CDC, the US Department of Agriculture, and the American Veterinary Medical Association do not believe that pets are at significant risk for Ebola in the United States.
For more detailed information about Ebola and dogs and cats, see the CDC resources below:
