Ebola Patient's Pet Dog to Be Euthanized as Precaution

[avaistheone1]

Last edited Wed Oct 8, 2014, 10:28 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: ABC News

Spanish health authorities reacted forcefully today after a nurse's aide was found to have contracted Ebola, putting her in an isolation unit, quarantining her husband and two other people, and getting a court order to euthanize her dog.

The case marked the first time the disease has been contracted outside of west Africa and has alarmed health workers throughout Europe.

The European Union has demanded an explanation from Spain as to how the health worker could have become infected. “Tomorrow morning, we will have an audio conference call of EU's Health Security Committee," said Frederic Vincent, a spokesman for European Health Commission. “We will all listen very carefully to what the Spanish officials have to tell us on why was the hospital not ready for Ebola patients.”

The response by Madrid raised the specter that pets could spread the disease. The city of Madrid got a court order to euthanize and incinerate the woman's dog over her and her husband's objections, according to the Associated Press. The dog is a mixed breed pooch named Excalibur.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ebola-patients-pet-dog-euthanized-precaution/story?id=26014974

[TexasProgresive]

1. You might edit your subject line to the actual headline

Ebola Patient's Pet Dog to Be Euthanized as Precaution

Since that is LBN protocol and makes more sense.

[avaistheone1]

22. i copied the subject line exactly as ABC first posted it.

Evidently moments later ABC modified the subject line and removed the word "Health".

This post now reflects their current modification.

[TexasProgresive]

23. Thanks, I figured something like that

Having Health in the line was giving me a headache as I keep twisting my brain around to have it make sense.

[JimDandy]

2. The only other mention of the dog in the article is this:

"The government said available scientific knowledge suggests a risk that the dog could transmit the virus to humans."

[riversedge]

3. I read that mammals can get the disease--or spread to humans. It is thought

that the first case in Africa was from contaminated bushmeat (monkey)--. I can not find the article now. sorry

[kestrel91316]

4. Dogs have been proven to develop a transient Ebola infection, of unknown duration,

Last edited Tue Oct 7, 2014, 07:01 PM - Edit history (1)

complete with likely virus shedding of unknown duration, all while not showing any signs of ill health. This constitutes an extremely serious zoonotic hazard on par with rabies infection.

I'm not opposed to it. It's very sad. And it's all the more reason to stop this thing in its tracks so it does NOT come to the US to stay.

[Marrah_G]

9. How would it come here to stay?

The species it crosses from is in Africa not here. it would have to be a continuous person to person transmission which would be difficult due to how it is transmitted, the length of the incubation period, how long it is transmittable outside the host and the mortality rate.

[kestrel91316]

12. Ebola has been very successfully and continuously transmitted from person to person

in West Africa for the better part of a year. Apparently you've missed that part. Fruit bats haven't been involved in this epidemic other than to START it.

(quintuple facepalm)

[Marrah_G]

16. It's been continually transmitted due to poverty and cultural practices

and even though it's been going on longer then other outbreaks, this one will eventually end also. Ebola is a terrible virus. But is it something we will have to deal with for generations.... or any real length of time here in the US? Highly unlikely. That doesn't mean it isn't terrible. Nor do I think we are doing enough to help the countries struggling with it. They need our help desperately and we should be giving them anything they need to combat it. We always seem to have money for killing people, but when it comes to saving people they tell us we are broke. I am hoping we can have a conversation without things getting nasty.

[kestrel91316]

20. All it needs to do is overwhelm our ability to contain it, and

we won't feel quite so smug about our rather fragile situation here in the US. All it takes is enough people fucking up enough times and we won't be any better off than West Africa.

Lying victims? Check.

Lying contacts swift to break isolation? Check.

Incompetent doctors all too willing to turn an Ebola patient loose on an unsuspecting city? Check.

Homeless contact trusted to stick around for monitoring takes off to roam the city? Check.

It's like a bad movie. We've got the denialists, the liars, the forgetters, the omitters, the smug superior types, the uncaring. You name it - the US has people who can easily screw up the best of plans, and we have them by the millions.

[Trillo]

5. And don't forget Republican Todd Kincannon's solution

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025623747
Wants to euthanize humans with Ebola.

[hlthe2b]

6. As devastating as this is to fathom (I'm a bit teary just imagining), it does appear necessary

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/3/pdfs/04-0981.pdf

The above study documents how widely dogs can become infected, correlating closely with the level of human infections in the area, but also that they can shed the virus for what appears to be a short period of time. Thus, dogs which become infected can become a threat to humans, at least from previous oubreaks in Africa.

It breaks my heart to even think of this. I can not begin to express how badly I feel for that Spanish nurse and her family.

[kestrel91316]

14. I think they have NO choice, just like with rabies. Way too much of a potential public health threat

since we have no idea how much virus they shed, for how long, and by which bodily fluids if any.

I think they are probably actively contributing to the epidemic's perpetuation and spread in West Africa.

[Mojorabbit]

18. It seems they could quarantine the dog

along with her husband and check it for infection later.

[kestrel91316]

21. No veterinarian would touch that task with a ten foot pole.

I know I wouldn't. Nor would any kennel worker.

Far too dangerous, and the penalty for any misstep is death.

No one has any idea how long the dog might stay infectious.

[LisaL]

25. Should they start putting down potentially infected people?

They didn't even test this dog for the virus.
Even dogs potentially exposed to rabies can be put in quarantine. And rabies are deadlier than Ebola.

[kestrel91316]

28. I didn't say that, so don't put words in my mouth.

I've had to tell you that before, IIRC.

[Scairp]

26. I'm skeptical canines can get it

On the other hand if dogs can get the disease you wouldn't want the animal to suffer. This disease is too awful for a poor animal to go through. But they could wait to see if the dog can actually get it. I mean, before they begin executing dogs all over Spain they could at least see if it's something canines can get or carry.

[LisaL]

27. The dog wasn't even sick.

They never even tested to see if he had the virus (which they could have done).

[kestrel91316]

29. "They" who? The only place that dog could be taken for testing would be a BSL-4 lab.

You aren't seriously proposing that the local dog and cat clinic deal with a possible ebola case, are you???

And your comparisons to rabies are absurd. People can and do get preventive rabies vaccinations if they work with animals and are at risk (I have), and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP treatment) has a track record of well over a hundred years of saving exposed people's lives. These days it is virtually 100% effective.

No such prevention or treatment exists for ebola, so it is in fact FAR more dangerous for us veterinarians.

Why don't you go to vet school and then get a PhD in epidemiology or virology and make this your life's work? Just stop telling US it's our duty.

[tabasco]

7. If somebody killed my dog

I'd kill them.

[kestrel91316]

15. So, if your dog got rabies, you would kill the public health officials who required its euthanasia?

Or would you just kill the veterinarian?

Just curious.

[Marrah_G]

17. What if your dog could infect others?

[TDale313]

8. Sorry, I find it hard to accept there's not a more humane option.

Flame away, this just feels so fucking wrong.

[Earth_First]

10. No quarantine, no blood test, no potential vaccine...

...just euthanize the dog so they can wash their hand of this incident.

How horribly tragic.

[Marrah_G]

11. Seems there is some science to back this up

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/3/pdfs/04-0981.pdf

It's long and technical, but there is a possibilty of a dog carrying the virus.

[candelista]

13. If people would just stop having sex with fruit bats....

...we wouldn't have this problem. That is my final word on the subject, which should be a relief to whoever reads this.

[Baclava]

19. "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" n/t

[LisaL]

24. Authorities brought Ebola patients into the country that didn't have the virus.

Now the dog has to pay.
It's stupid and unbelievably cruel.
At the very least they could have tested the dog to see if the dog actually had the virus.