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The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warned of the risk of monkeypox becoming endemic in Europe, that is, regularly found among European people. This would occur if attempts to control the spread of the virus fail and the virus subsequently infects animal species susceptible to the virus. The virus then would become entrenched within animal species that then serve as a virus host and source of new human infections.
The health agency noted they know little regarding the viability of European mammals as a repository for the virus but indicated that squirrels and other rodents likely would be suitable hosts. The agency also noted transmission from people to pets may occur. These spillovers could lead to the virus becoming entrenched in European wildlife that then becomes an ongoing source of disease transmission to humans.
The agency expressed their concern in a recently released statement, indicating that if human-to-animal transmission occurs, and the virus subsequently spreads in an animal population, then there is a risk that the disease could become endemic. Accordingly, the agency now stresses the need for close collaboration between both veterinary and human health agencies to both monitor and manage the spread of monkeypox to exposed pets thereby, and hopefully, preventing transmission of the disease to wildlife.
Currently, monkeypox is endemic in only a dozen countries, mainly in Central and West Africa. Fortunately, infections only occur occasionally. Additionally, prior to the recent spread of cases, only a few infections have occurred outside the endemic countries including in Israel, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Additionally, a detailed investigation of the 2003 United States' outbreak found no evidence of transmission from humans to animals. Instead, analysis showed imported pets from Ghana as the original source of the virus. These animals then infected pet store prairie dogs, which subsequently infected 47 Americans in six different states.
Nevertheless, and unfortunately, the current monkeypox case count continues to rapidly rise, especially as countries increase their surveillance efforts. To date, there are approximately 200 cases of monkeypox that are either suspected or confirmed across eleven European countries and, additionally, in Australia, Canada, Israel, and the United States.
