Human to dog transmission of monkeypox virus
- Thread starter skinnydipper
- Start date
SilverLinings
Well-Known Member
I saw it reported on the BBC News website and was a bit creeped out by the report saying that the dog was 'co-sleeping' with the owners, I presume they meant sleeping on their bed? Don't know why I found it such a weird choice of words though.
The main worry with the virus (like with many other types of virus) seems to be that it is more likely to mutate- and potentially become more dangerous- if it passes through different species. Hopefully anyone diagnosed with it is being told not to have physical contact with their pets/other animals whilst in the contagious phase. A quick Google suggests that Dogs can't catch smallpox so I presume there is no vaccine to prevent them catching Monkeypox if their owner becomes infected (as the smallpox vaccine is being used against Monkeypox in humans).
The main worry with the virus (like with many other types of virus) seems to be that it is more likely to mutate- and potentially become more dangerous- if it passes through different species. Hopefully anyone diagnosed with it is being told not to have physical contact with their pets/other animals whilst in the contagious phase. A quick Google suggests that Dogs can't catch smallpox so I presume there is no vaccine to prevent them catching Monkeypox if their owner becomes infected (as the smallpox vaccine is being used against Monkeypox in humans).
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
Yes it just means the dog was sleeping on the bed. It was an Italian Greyhound, I mean, where else would it sleep!! 
SilverLinings
Well-Known Member
Yes it just means the dog was sleeping on the bed. It was an Italian Greyhound, I mean, where else would it sleep!!
I don't mean it was weird that the dog slept on the bed (mine have on occasion), just that the phrase 'co-sleeping' sounded odd! probably says more about me though...
Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
I don't mean it was weird that the dog slept on the bed (mine have on occasion), just that the phrase 'co-sleeping' sounded odd! probably says more about me though...
I found the term odd, too.
Why not just write that the dog sleeps on the owners' bed?
skinnydipper
Well-Known Member
Because it wouldn't be accurate.
He will sleep under the covers, snuggled up to his owners, like any sensible skinny little mini whippet would if given half a chance.
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
It's also probably a bad translation if the original case happened in France/written in a technical way for a medical publication.
Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
The BBC article quotes (and links to) The Lancet, which also uses that term "co-sleeping".
I had a suspicion that the term might be used when a parent sleeps in the same bed as an infant, and a quick Google search confirms this.
CorvusCorax
Deary me...
Maybe they had a word count 
Keith_Beef
Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
I think that whoever wrote the article was trying very hard to not write that the owners had been sleeping with their dog.Maybe they had a word count
SilverLinings
Well-Known Member
I think that might be why I didn't like the term; I work in paediatrics and co-sleeping (as in a baby sleeping in the same bed as their parents) is very much seen as A Bad Thing due to the risk of death by suffocation, so I don't associate the term with anything nice, whereas having a dog sleep on your bed is definitely a nice thing! I think CC may have hit the nail on the head re. the word count (and it being quicker to type if it's used repeatedly, rather than saying the dog was sleeping on/in their bed)