Mpox and Pets: What the Evidence Really Says

Introduction

Mpox (formerly monkeypox) has driven two global health emergencies since 2022. Pet owners understandably ask whether their dog or cat is at risk. The honest, up-to-date answer is more reassuring and more interesting than the early headlines suggested.

Structural anatomy of the monkeypox (MPXV) virion. Labelled diagram of the monkeypox virus structure showing surface tubles, outer envelope, lateral bodies, pallisade layer, core membrane, core fibrils, and core nucleoprotein complex. MPXV belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus and shares the characteristic brick-shaped morphology of poxviruses, with a dumbbell-shaped core enclosed by a complex multi-layered envelope.