Ebola tests on Dallas nurse's dog expected back 'within a week'

Ebola tests on Dallas nurse's dog expected back 'within a week'

Bentley, the dog owned by Ebola-infected Texas nurse Nina Pham, is being periodically tested for Ebola, and results are expected back within a week, Sana Syed, public information officer for the city of Dallas, told Yahoo News on Tuesday.

Bentley, Pham's year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, was removed from the 26-year-old nurse's Dallas apartment last week and placed under a 21-day quarantine.

Syed said Bentley was transitioned into a special kennel for the proper collection of his urine and feces on Monday and was then returned to his quarantined kennel.


"At this time, this specimen collection process is only expected to happen three times within the remainder of the quarantine period," the City of Dallas reported in a news release. "This is the least invasive and safest way to conduct the testing process for Bentley. Bentley will be monitored for a full 21-day period, similar to people exposed to the Ebola virus."

It's not clear what would happen if Bentley were to test positive for Ebola. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are no known cases of dogs or cats spreading the Ebola virus.

Last week, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said that Bentley would not be euthanized like Excalibur, the dog belonging to a Spanish nurse with Ebola. Madrid officials put him down despite a viral social media campaign to save his life.

"If that dog has to be 'The Boy in the Plastic Bubble,' we're going to take good care of that dog," Jenkins said.

"We are hopeful that Bentley’s journey will contribute to what we know about Ebola and dogs, since they play such an important role in so many people's lives," Dallas Animal Services manager Dr. Cate McManus said in a statement.

Pham, one of two nurses who contracted Ebola while treating Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, was transferred to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, where she remains in good condition.

Dallas Animal Services officials say they are giving Pham regular updates on Bentley's condition. And Syed has been doing the same for the public on Twitter.

"Bentley is doing great!" Syed tweeted Tuesday. "Turns out he likes butt rubs."