Utah animal shelter in quarantine after deadly disease outbreak

WEBER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Weber County Animal Services confirmed three cases of a highly contagious and deadly disease at their facility on Monday.

The outbreak of canine parvovirus has caused the shelter to go into quarantine.

The shelter said they will be unable to adopt any dogs until April 10, as per quarantine protocol, and asks anyone with dogs at their facility to pick them up immediately.

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According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, canine parvovirus, or “parvo,” is a highly contagious disease caused by canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2). The virus reportedly attacks white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tract of dogs, and can damage the heart muscle of puppies.

All dogs are susceptible to the disease, although some are at a greater risk than others. AVMA said the following groups are at a greater risk: puppies between six and 20 weeks of age; unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated dogs; and certain breeds, such as Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, Bull terrier breeds, German shepherds, and English springer spaniels.

The disease is easily spread by direct contact with infected dogs, contact with feces from infected dogs, or contact with virus-contaminated surfaces — including kennels, food and water bowls, collars and leashes, and the hands and clothing of people who handle infected dogs, AVMA said.

Because canine parvovirus is highly contagious, AVMA said dogs suspected or confirmed to be infected need to be isolated from other dogs to minimize spread of infection.

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