[jakes mom]

Does anyone know if dogs really carry Ebola? I was so upset when I heard the Spanish authorities were going to euthanize the dog owned by the nurse who contracted Ebola, saying it may be a carrier. Do dogs carry it but never show symptoms? Could they have just quarantined it for a period of time? I hope people don’t start panicking and killing dogs!

[Dori]

While dogs do contract ebola, they do so asymptomatically. They do carry ebola and can pass it on even though they show no signs. I read the story also and it was indeed very sad that he was euthanized. I’m not sure that quarantining a dog that has been in contact with a person or any other animal with ebola would have shown any results as they show no symptoms. I don’t know if there is a blood test that they could have done to let them know if the dog did, indeed, carry ebola. I also hope that people don’t start panicking about ebola at all. It’s all very scary and the more the media continues to report about it the more fearful everyone becomes.

[Kathleen C]

It certainly has been over done by the press, but they always seem to do things like that because they need a story and need to beat the other guy to the big story. We need to know how to protect ourselves, but that kind of story isn’t sexy, if you know what I mean. It just gives the facts.

[theBCnut]

The only useful thing I got from the news was handwashing, not germx, is best. And I already knew that.

[Naturella]

Dori or anyone, if dogs carry the virus asymptomatically, can they still die from it, or do the people who become sick die of the symptoms the virus causes in them?

[Dori]

Hi Alek. No, the dogs do not die of the illness. They are the carriers who may or may not infect the humans around them. There are many illnesses that humans and animals can carry. They never come down with the illness but they can pass it along either through birth as with humans, or saliva and sweat or, of course a bite, with animals. The carrier does not come down with the actual illness, they can pass it on.

[Naturella]

Dori, I see. Thank you for the clarification.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Some good news, the dog of the nurse who contracted Ebola in Dallas,Texas is being allowed to live 😀 http://www.dogster.com/the-scoop/ebola-virus-dallas-madrid-spain-kill-euthanize-dog

[theBCnut]

I don’t know if our news channel had it wrong or someone in Dallas changed their mind, but our news channel reported that they put the dog down. Maybe they were talking about the one in Spain, but they didn’t even know it.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hmm. That’s strange. NBC also said he is being isolated: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/bentleys-fate-dallas-nurses-dog-faces-ebola-isolation-n224956

[theBCnut]

I just went to our local news site and looked at the article. They were in one breath talking about the dog here and in the next breath talking about the dog in Spain and my son didn’t get the transition. I didn’t actually see the news today. I walked in to my son saying “Don’t let our dogs get ebola! They’ll kill them!” This was my 19 year old cat loving young man.

[jakes mom]

Nina Pham has tested neg for Ebola and been released from hospital, Bentley has also tested neg and they should be reunited soon. Happy ending for all. So glad the people in Dallas had more compassion than the Spaniards. But then, Spain doesn’t have a very good reputation as far as animal rights goes.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Yay! Bentley is out of quarantine tomorrow! http://www.dogster.com/the-scoop/ebola-nina-pham-dog-bentley-cleared-cavalier-king-charles-spaniel

• This reply was modified 11 years, 12 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

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