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July 07, 2003

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

“Rats Confirmed as Monkeypox Source”

Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (07/03/03) P. A3; Stein, Rob 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week that it

has traced the outbreak of monkeypox in the United States to infected

rodents shipped from Africa to an exotic pet dealer in Texas.  At least one

Gambian giant pouched rat, three dormice, and two rope squirrels were found

to be infected with the virus, all of which were sent from Ghana to the

dealer.  As a result, the CDC suggested that all 812 rodents included in

the shipment be destroyed, as well as every prairie dog that came into

contact with the animals and prairie dogs that may have had secondary

contact with potentially infected prairie dogs.  Other species of mammals

that have been exposed to any possibly infected animal should be

quarantined for six weeks, said the CDC, as the agency works to prevent the

spread of monkeypox among pets, humans, and wild animals.