The parvovirus is the illness that has killed dozens of dogs in Michigan, officials say

The parvovirus is the illness that has killed dozens of dogs in Michigan, officials say

by


It has killed more than 20 dogs in Otsego County alone, usually within days of presenting symptoms of vomiting, bloody diarrhea, lethargy and loss of appetite, 60 miles northeast of Traverse City, Gaylord in the county animal shelter, said Friday. On Facebook.
More than 30 dogs died from similar symptoms in three counties in Clare County, South, according to Clare County Cleaver, the county’s director of animal control told officials last week. Similar reports have been made around northern and central Michigan.
“Canine parvovirus is a serious and highly contagious disease in dogs, but[the state]and veterinary professionals have been exposed to widespread exposure to the virus,” state veterinarian Nora Vinland said in a statement to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. have experience.”

Dogs that have not been fully vaccinated are most at risk, Wineland said, adding that effective vaccines are available.

Full vaccinations protect animals from serious disease, and that cases should not “considerably change” the way dog ​​owners plan to care for their pets or travel, the statement said.

The department said routine canine vaccinations include those against parvovirus.

The Otsego County Shelter and Clare County Animal Control director said the experts were challenged after the affected dogs tested negative during a preliminary investigation by veterinarians.

“While those tests are valuable in a clinical setting, they are not as sensitive as the clinical tests we can do here in the lab. We continue to advance the virus in hopes of better understanding why.” Why were those animals testing negative on the screening tests,” said Kim Dodd, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Michigan State University.

Some of the first samples submitted to Michigan State’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory were positive for parvovirus, the laboratory and the state Department of Agriculture said Monday.

Affected dogs in Otsego County have usually been younger than 2 years of age or elderly, the county shelter said.

“We haven’t seen any dogs … die who are fully vaccinated,” the shelter’s Facebook post reads.

Canine parvovirus is spread through dog-to-dog contact and contact with contaminated feces and the environment, states the Veterinary Association. The state agriculture department said it is not contagious to people or other types of animals.

No medication will kill the parvovirus in infected dogs, so treatment for that virus focuses on supporting the body’s systems—including replacing electrolyte, protein, and fluid loss—so the immune system can fight off the infection. Medical Association says.

The association states that survival rates for parvovirus can “reach 90%” with appropriate treatment, although when death does occur, it usually occurs 48 to 72 hours after symptoms begin.

CNN’s Amy Simonson contributed to this report.



(This story has not been edited by seemayo staff and is published from a rss feed)

Leave a Comment