STATE WARNS OF MONKEYPOX RISK ASSOCIATED WITH PRAIRIE DOGS, AFRICAN RODENTS

Richmond, VA – The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Virginia Department of Health are warning Virginians about potential risks associated with prairie dogs and African rodents. The agencies have been working together to address issues related to monkeypox, a viral disease that occurs in Africa, which recently appeared for the first time in the United States. There is no indication at this time that any animals or people in Virginia have been exposed to monkeypox; however state and federal agencies are coordinating resources to track and to contain the disease. 

In an effort to stop the spread of the disease, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Joint Order on June 11, 2003, that prohibits the transportation, sale, or distribution or release into the wild of certain rodents and prairie dogs. The order, effective until further notice, also places an embargo on the importation of all rodents from Africa. The African rodents implicated in the original transmission of the disease were brought into the U.S. in early April for commercial pet trade. The animals then spread the disease to captive prairie dogs at a pet distributor. 

State Health Commissioner Robert B. Stroube, M.D., M.P.H., commented, “Monkeypox is a viral disease that causes a rash and is not usually fatal in humans. That does not diminish our concern about this virus being introduced in this country.” 

The speed at which monkeypox moved from state to state has raised concerns among federal and state officials. Nearly 80 human cases, all stemming from direct or indirect contact with infected prairie dogs, have been reported to the CDC. There have been no human deaths in the United States, but the disease does have a fatality rate of up to 10% in Africa. 

Of primary concern would be any prairie dogs acquired since April 15, 2003, when the infected rodents and prairie dogs were distributed within the United States, spreading monkeypox. The CDC is tracing all animals from the initial shipment and any animals that came in contact with them. Any individual who acquired a prairie dog since April 15 should monitor its health closely and may want to report the animal to the local health department. The CDC Web site (www.cdc.gov) has guidelines for owners in handling prairie dogs and rodents. In addition, that Web site contains information about the symptoms of monkeypox. 

It has been illegal to purchase or to sell prairie dogs in Virginia since January 1, 1998. Prairie dog owners who had their pets as of December 31, 1997, were grandfathered in and may continue to possess those prairie dogs until the animals’ deaths.  Any individual who has acquired one since then is in violation of state regulations. 

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Director William L. Woodfin, Jr., proposed a compliance window for people who may be possessing prairie dogs illegally as pets.  “We have recently become aware of a few cases of individuals who are in violation. If you acquired a prairie dog before April 15, it is likely a healthy animal. But the fact remains, if you purchased it after January 1, 1998, you are breaking the law.”  Woodfin added, “We are offering a two-week period, effective immediately, for these people to come into compliance, after which appropriate legal action will be taken.”   Under the current federal Joint Order, the only legal way for individuals to comply with the law is to transport prairie dogs to local veterinarians or animal control officers for humane euthanasia. 

A key concern for wildlife officials and health officials is that these animals not be released into the wild.  In addition to being a violation of the federal Joint Order, releasing them would be a violation of state law. Said Woodfin, “It is imperative that we protect our native wildlife from being exposed to monkeypox or any disease that could be introduced by a non-native species. We don’t know the full extent of impact it could have on animals, both wild and domestic, in Virginia, but the risk is certainly there.”  

If a prairie dog dies prior to transportation to a veterinarian, the owner should contact the local Health Department for guidance. Stroube added, “People who have been exposed to prairie dogs should be alert to symptoms such as fever, cough, rash and/or swollen lymph nodes. Physicians should promptly report any cases of illnesses consistent with these symptoms, and human contact with these animals, to their local health department.”   

Pet swaps are fairly common events for owners of these species of rodent and prairie dogs. The unregulated trading of animals contributed to the spread of monkeypox and has proven to be a challenge in tracing people and animals possibly exposed to the virus. 

Nationally, doctors, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and others are grappling with a series of inter-species diseases, including West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, and now monkeypox. These diseases all originated with animals and moved to people with sometimes devastating results. 

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries strongly discourages people from keeping wild or exotic animals as pets. Many people do not fully appreciate the care requirements of wild and exotic animals. Even the best-prepared owner is no substitute for an animal’s natural habitat. 

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