Culture
Your Dog Probably Won't Give You Ebola—But It Could Give You Lots of Other Things
A visual guide to the nasties possibly lurking inside your best friend.
Spanish authorities made the decision to euthanize and incinerate poor Excalibur the dog this week, after his owner, nurse Teresa Romero Ramos, contracted Ebola while treating repatriated Spanish missionaries. The reaction throughout world the one has been one of outrage tinged by panic. Did Excalibur have Ebola? Is it even possible for a dog to contract Ebola? Can my dog give Ebola to me?
There is one article in the medical literature that draws a link between Ebola and dogs, CDC Director Thomas Frieden pointed out Tuesday. “Whether that was an accurate test and whether that was a relevant test, we don't know, but we want to look at all possibilities,” he said.