Unidentified Virus Kills Dozens of Dogs in Michigan

James Xu
By James Xu
August 24, 2022News
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Unidentified Virus Kills Dozens of Dogs in Michigan
A Border Collie in the Benching Area during the (Hound and Herding) Breed Judging at the 146th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at the Lyndhurst Mansion in New York on June 20, 2022. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

An unidentified virus has resulted in dozens of canine deaths in Michigan over the past month, and animal control shelters have been alerting dog owners to isolate their pets until further information is available.

Animal control officials told USA Today that the illness causes acute gastrointestinal problems. Common symptoms include tiredness, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.

It’s not yet fully understood how the virus is able to spread.

According to Melissa FitzGerald, Otsego County’s animal control and shelter director, at least 30 dogs were killed due to the virus which exhibits similar symptoms to parvovirus, FOX 17 Michigan  reports.

“It is a virus much like parvo, possibly a different strain,” said FitzGerald.

Baker Institute for Animal Health described parvovirus as a “highly contagious viral disease of dogs that commonly causes acute gastrointestinal illness in puppies.” Puppies aged between six and 20 weeks are most likely to be infected, but older animals are also vulnerable.

Animal experts in the state said dogs infected with the unidentified virus first appeared in Otsego County of north Michigan and it has since spread further north.

In response to the outbreak, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic are currently conducting experiments in order to understand the virus.

“What exactly is it, a strain of parvo? Is it something else? Is it combined? There’s a lot of unanswered questions that they’re looking into at this point,” FitzGerald said.

“The state vet’s office is hoping to learn more and come up with a defense as we get more specimens,” she added.

In the meantime, FitzGerald suggested that parvo vaccines may potentially alleviate effects.

“Make sure they’re up to date on all their vaccinations, make sure they were properly vaccinated when you got them whether it was when they were puppies or when they were three,” she said. “Keep your dogs close. Don’t let them sniff about. No common water dishes, anything like that.”

The virus is not infectious to other animals or to people.

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