I agree poor dog, on a larger scale, does this mean all kinds of animals, racoons, deer, squirrels, house pets, dogs, cats, can carry this thing? Of all things, I hadn’t seen bats in a long time but did last night. Of course, I don’t think it’s these fruit bats from where I am but still.
jumped from animals to humans, no reason why it can’t jump between both....and believe you me if it gets into the animal population we do have a big problem......
Actually, I wouldn't worry about the bats. Bats, pigs, monkeys and dogs appear to get infected based on confirmation of Ebola specific antibodies raised in animals believed to be infected-- dogs and bats seem to be asymptotic, so they could potentially serve as hosts. Unusual numbers of antelopes and porcupines have been observed dead in regions where Ebola was endemic, so it is likely they get it also, but soon die. Based on this, it is reasonable to believe that deer and other animals could get the disease.
So, why do I say don't worry about bats? It is far less likely that dogs or humans come into intimate contact with bats. Dogs are social animals that lick each other, exchanging potentially infectious fluids, so if they do in fact carry the active virus for prolonged periods (not yet known) they would be my primary concern. You will likely not come into direct contact with wild animals, but your dog and other domesticated animals/livestock might. If it ever gets that bad here, I think there will more immediate concerns. If you live in a rural area with a fenced yard you could probably protect your dog and yourself by avoiding all contact with humans-- shelter in place and accompany the dog anytime you put him/her out. That's my plan.