The first case exploring the health management of dogs owned by a man suffering from Ebola (EDV) in Italy

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the health management of two dogs belonging to a patient suffering from Ebola (EVD) by Veterinary Service of the Local Health Authority in collaboration with the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sassari. Methods & Materials: On May 12, 2015, a Sardinian nurse tested positive for Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus). He worked in Sierra Leone for the Ong Emergency and he was later admitted to a high-isolation ward at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, “Lazzaro Spallanzani“, in Rome. It was the first case in Italy of a patient experiencing symptoms of Ebola (high fever and malaise) after returning from the West African countries where outbreaks of Ebola were present. The high risk of infection for family members and the possible role of dogs in the transmission of the disease prompted the use of quarantine measures (21 days). Family members were placed in isolation in a country house with their two patient-owned dogs, and they were given specific instructions. The two dogs were monitored by passive telephone surveillance. Two family members were entrusted by a veterinarian with the task of measuring the dogs’ temperatures twice daily (in the inner part of the thigh) by use of a laser thermometer and communicate by telephone any clinical signs of disease that might be observed. Results: During the period of isolation, no symptoms related to Ebola were detected and the body temperatures were always maintained at physiological levels in both dogs. The same thing was observed in the two family members. As a result, quarantine measures were revoked for both for humans and animals. Conclusion: Despite the lack of scientific evidence about the possibility of the human-canine virus transmission, it proved to be a good idea to adopt a biosecurity managementprotocol that dictated quarantine and passive telephone surveillance of both temperature and symptoms, allowing both dogs to stay alive.