Lancet: Greyhound Contracts Monkey Pox from Gay Owners

PARIS, FRANCE – For the first time in medical history a dog has contracted Monkey Pox through contact with its owners.  

According to a report from the Lancet Medical Journal, a 4-year-old Italian greyhound tested positive for Monkeypox after being exposed to the virus by its infected non-monogamous gay owners. It is believed that the dog slept in the same bed as the two men, licked them and then licked itself.

The Lancet reports the virus that infected the dog "showed 100% sequence homology" with the virus that infected one of his owners.

Until now it was unknown if animals, besides rodents and primates, could be carriers of the disease.  Now the CDC is recommending people who have contracted monkeypox to avoid close contact with pets.

"Human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus usually occurs through close contact with the lesions, body fluids, and respiratory droplets of infected people or animals," The Lancet reports. "The possibility of sexual transmission is being investigated, as the current outbreak appears to be concentrated in men who have sex with men and has been associated with unexpected anal and genital lesions."