In the current outbreak, illness in animals has been reported to include fever, cough, blepharoconjunctivitis, and lymphadenopathy, followed by a nodular or pustular rash. Some animals have died while others reportedly recovered. While the current cases have primarily involved prairie dogs, single cases have been reported in a rabbit and a Gambian giant rat. No cases have been reported to date in dogs, cats, or horses. As a precaution, however, all mammals should be considered susceptible at this time.

Currently, no treatment is available for monkeypox. Smallpox vaccine has been reported to reduce the risk of monkeypox among previously vaccinated persons in Africa. CDC is assessing the potential role of postexposure use of smallpox vaccine as well as therapeutic use of the antiviral drug, cidofovir.

Pet owners who suspect their animal (rodent or rabbit) may have an illness compatible with monkeypox should immediately isolate the animal from humans and other animals, have an evaluation performed by their veterinarian, and notify their state or local health department. Owners should notify the veterinarian before transporting the animal to the clinic so that appropriate infection control precautions can be implemented prior to arrival. Owners also should consider wearing a mask and gloves when handling the animal, and should transport it in a separate container such as a cardboard box or animal crate. The animal's bedding should be collected and bagged and brought with the animal to the veterinary clinic for disposal as medically regulated waste. Soiled bedding should not be disposed of as household trash. Following identification of an animal with suspect monkeypox in a household, any animals (including dogs and cats) who may have come in contact with the sick animal should be closely observed for signs of illness for a period of one month following the last date of exposure. Conta-minated household surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected. Standard household cleaning/disinfectants may be used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.

Veterinarians examining sick prairie dogs or Gambian giant rats, or other mammals that may have come in contact with a suspected monkeypox case, should consider the diagnosis of monkeypox infection. Animals that currently appear healthy but have been implicated as a probable source of infection for a human case should also be treated as a suspected case of monkeypox. All suspected cases of monkeypox in animals should be reported immediately to state or local health department officials.