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Dallas dog raises questions about animals and Ebola

Posted at 2:04 PM, Oct 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-15 19:52:47-04

Texas nurse Nina Pham is the first person to contract Ebola within the U.S. She's currently being treated at a Dallas hospital — but what will happen to her pet dog?

It was the same question raised in response to a nurse who contracted Ebola in Spain. The Madrid later government made the decision to have the woman's dog euthanized, over fears it could be a carrier of the virus.

But it seems Pham's dog will avoid that same fate. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings told USA Today the dog will be kept safe and quarantined in another location while Pham is treated. Her apartment is also being decontaminated.

The Dallas Police Department has even been keeping the public updated on the dog during this process.

But why is there so much attention on a furry friend? Some media outlets note what happened in Spain versus the States highlights what experts don't know.

The reality is — there's not a lot of information about the risk of Ebola in animals or whether humans can even become infected by domesticated pets.

Find out more with this Newsy video.