Concern (paranoia?) about Ebola in animals has died down lately, which is a good thing. In the meantime, guidelines have been developed to help handle potential animal Ebola-exposure issues, which is also a good thing.

While I’ve been slow posting them, Canadian guidance for management of companion animals potentially exposed to Ebola virus and for

All animals pose some risk of infection to people, to one degree or another, but the risk varies a lot between animal species. I guess I’ve always considered guinea pigs to be relatively benig, with a few zoonotic disease concerns but with bites probably being the biggest risk.

I still think that’s true, but a

I go on periodic rants about people abusing service animal rules to take their pets places they cannot normally go (while potentially compromising the critically important need for true service animals to have unfettered access).

Sometimes, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one.

A recent article (pointed out by a writer from the VIN

What zoonotic microorganisms do pangolins commonly carry?

Are some pangolins higher risk than others?

What infection control measures should be used?

I don’t know, and from a cursory review of the literature, I don’t think anyone really knows.

So, do we really want to be exposing them to some of our most susceptible individuals –