The Ebola crisis: it's time to heed a vital reminder
The crisis over the Ebola virus has become a veterinary concern. On 7 October 2014, Spanish nurse Teresa Romero lost her dog to a court ordered euthanasia after concerns that it had been exposed to Ebola when she contracted the disease caring for an infected patient. Mrs Romero's dog became a target of fear as officials claimed that the available scientific evidence could not rule out risk of zoonotic transmission. The dog was subsequently euthanised despite a public outcry asking for it to be saved. Mrs Romero reportedly has now demanded £120 000 compensation from the officials, stating that the sacrifice of her beloved pet dog Excalibur was unnecessary and carried out ‘against medical advice’.1