>> TREVOR AULT WITH THE LATEST ON COVID. NOW FOR MORE ON THE MONKEYPOX AND YOUR ANIMALS. LET'S BRING IN ABC NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND DERMATOLOGIST DOCTOR MARK ABDULLAH. DOCTOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU. THE CDC CONFIRMING AT LEAST 12,000 CASES OF MONKEYPOX. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE GOVERNMENT ACTION TO LIMIT THE SPREADING? >> WELL, WE ARE DOING A LOT TO TRY TO CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT IF THEY ARE AT HIGH RISK, TO GET VACCINATED. THE PROBLEM WITH THE RESPONSE IS THAT WE HAVE SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUES. WE HAVE A DEMAND FOR VACCINES. A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT THE VACCINE, UNFORTUNATELY, THE SUPPLY DOES NOT ALWAYS MATCH. >> THE CDC RECOMMENDS A NUMBER WAYS TO REDUCE EXPOSURE, INCLUDING LIMITING THE NUMBER OF SEXUAL PARTNERS AND EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE SPACES. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER WAYS? >> ONE IS KNOWING THE RISK FACTORS, KNOWING IF YOU'RE IN A HIGH-RISK CATEGORY. RIGHT NOW, THAT IS MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN. AND THEIR SEXUAL NETWORKS. ALSO, IT IS DIRECT SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT. IF YOU ARE IN A SITUATION, WHERE YOU THINK WE CAN BE EXPOSED, REALIZING THAT THAT'S THE MAIN WAY THAT YOU GET TRANSMISSION, THAT IS THE MOST RISKY WAY. YOU COULD ALSO CATCH IT FROM VIRUS ON PARTICLES, LINENS, CLOTHING. ALSO, FROM DIRECT CONTACT THROUGH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. THE MAIN THING THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT IS DIRECT SKIN TO SKIN CONTACT AS BEING THE HIGHEST RISK CATEGORY. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS. THE CDC IS WARNING ANYONE WITH MONKEYPOX TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AROUND THEIR PET AFTER A CASE WAS REPORTED IN FRANCE THAT SHOWS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE VIRUS TO SPREAD BETWEEN HUMANS AND HOUSEHOLD ANIMALS. WHAT'S SYMPTOMS SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR? >> YEAH, I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A DISEASE WHERE PEOPLE CAN INFECT DOGS. DOGS CAN INFECT PEOPLE. WE DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY A SUSTAINED WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TRANSMISSION. OUR DOGS AND CATS A VECTOR? WE SAW THAT IN EUROPE, IT IS TO PEOPLE WHO HAD A DOG, BOTH HAD MONKEYPOX, 12 DAYS LATER, THEIR DOG GOTTMAN KEEP OX. THE DOG HAD A RASH THAT WE CAN SOMETIMES SEE SIMILAR RASHES AND PEOPLE. IT HAD BUMPS ON THE ABDOMEN, SORES IN THE GENERAL AREA. DOGS CAN FEEL UNWELL JUST LIKE WE CAN. LETHARGY, THE DOG DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY CATCH. THE DOG HAS A RUNNY NOSE. THE DOG HAS A COUGH. HASN'T HAD A COUGH BEFORE. THOSE ARE ALL SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS THAT YOUR DOG, IF EXPOSED, HAVE MONKEYPOX. >> ALL RIGHT, PEOPLE SHOULD BE ON THE LOOK OUT THERE. I'M ASSUMING IT'S A, CALL THE VETS IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS. >> CALL YOUR VET, NOT YOUR DERMATOLOGIST, YES, IF YOU THINK YOUR PET HAS MONKEYPOX -- >> I GOT YOU. DOCTOR, BEFORE WE GO, WHEN ADVICE YOU HAVE TO THOSE GOING THROUGH MONKEYPOX? >> THE FIRST THING, NOT PANIC. THIS IS A DISEASE THAT WE ARE SEEING SPREADING. THANKFULLY, MOST OF THE TIME, IT IS NOT A VERY LIFE-THREATENING OR SERIOUS DISEASE. IT IS PAINFUL. IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE. YOU CAN FEEL UNWELL BEGINNING AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE A RASH THAT COULD BE PAINFUL AND STORES THAT CAN LAST FOR 2 TO 4 WEEKS. IF YOU TREAT YOUR SOARS WELL AND DO GOOD WOUND CARE AND ARE GETTING THE RIGHT CARE, HOPEFULLY YOUR PORES WILL BE MINE MILD. IF YOU PUT BEHIND YOU. >> DOCTOR, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS ALL STARTED, WHEN IT ALL CAME TO LIGHT TO THE PUBLIC, THERE APPEAR TO BE SOME STIGMA THAT WAS RELATED TO THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY. IS THAT THERE? IS THERE MORE EDUCATION OUT THERE? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK THE STIGMA IS STILL THERE. WE AS COMMUNICATORS IN PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS NEED TO EMPHASIZE THAT, YES, WHILE IT IS RIGHT NOW HAPPENING IN A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY, MORE OFTEN THAN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME, MONKEYPOX IS A DISEASE THAT ANYONE CAN GET. SO, ANYONE IS SUSCEPTIBLE. IF YOU ARE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS MONKEYPOX, REGARDLESS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION, YOU CAN HAVE ABOUT WITH MONKEYPOX. IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE. >> DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR EXPERTISE,