Health officials on Wednesday have euthanized Excalibur, a 12-year-old rescue dog owned by an Ebola-infected nurse Teresa Romero Ramos, amid protests from animal rights advocates to spare its life.

The issue has triggered an online frenzy after the plans to euthanize the dog was made public when Ramos' husband pleaded with Madrid authorities to change their minds. He argued that Excalibur showed no indications of having been infected with Ebola.

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Over 350,000 people have signed an online petition while others took to Twitter to save Excalibur's life.

Regional government official Javier Rodriguez confirmed Excalibur died on Wednesday and will be cremated later. Excalibur was sedated prior to euthanasia to spare it from any suffering, Madrid's Health Ministry said.

The fight to save Excalibur has raised questions on whether dogs can get infected and pass on the deadly disease.

In Africa, where most of the virus has been concentrated, health officials have been able to observe the disease through the handling of infected animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees, monkeys and porcupines, the World Health Organization said.

Studies on dogs, however, have not been as conclusive.

While analyses have shown that dogs can develop an immune response to the virus, there is no evidence that suggests that dogs - or cats - have experienced its symptoms or transmitted the Ebola virus to other animals or people, according to U.S.-based Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) spokesperson Thomas Skinner.

The only safe conclusion that can be drawn from these studies is that dogs that come into contact with Ebola respond to the virus. That is, their immune systems reacted, said Margaret H. Gilbert of the Tulane National Primate Research Center.

Whether the dogs "shed" the virus after coming into contact with it remains to be seen, Gilbert added.

The CDC has partnered with the American Veterinary Medical Association to analyze the issue and formulate guidelines for pet owners.

Skinner said infected individuals with pets at home should take into consideration the animal's risk of exposure - whether or not it has come into contact with the patient's bodily fluids (eg. blood, vomit or feces). If so, the pet should be closely observed for 21 days, the incubation period for Ebola. 

Tagseuthanasia, animal rights, what is ebola, Spanish nurse