County animal shelter reports outbreak of parvovirus
By Community Impact Newspaper Staff Thursday, 05 November 2009
GEORGETOWN — Officials from the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, 1855 S.E. Inner Loop in Georgetown, have confirmed eight cases of parvovirus at the shelter in the stray hold, isolation and receiving areas.
Dog owners may not surrender their dogs to the county animal shelter for the next two weeks. Families who have adopted a dog in the past two weeks are asked to watch for signs of illness in their pet and animal shelter workers have taken precautions against spreading a dangerous dog virus.
Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that affects dogs, but not cats, and is not transmitted to humans. It is not an airborne virus, but is spread through contact with infected feces.
The cat kennels and front lobby remain open for business as usual; however, the shelter has taken preventative action to isolate and contain the virus.
Shelter officials have consulted with Dr. Beverlee Nix, the state’s zoonosis control veterinarian for the region, who agrees with the shelter’s plan to continue adoptions for unexposed animals that have been held only in the adoption area of the shelter for the past week or longer.
Shelter officials have called families who adopted animals in the past week to advise them of the outbreak and ask them to watch their dogs for signs of the virus, which include diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy.
To prevent the spread of the virus, foot traffic through the shelter has been limited, kennels and equipment are being sanitized daily, no animals are being moved into the adoption area and affected animals have been euthanized.
Staff members are not allowed in or out of the stray hold and isolation areas unless assigned to that area, and they must change their shoes or wear a protective foot covers.
Ways to prevent the spread of parvovirus:
Vaccinate dogs annually
If dogs are not vaccinated, avoid taking them to public parks and limit their contact with grassy areas; parvovirus can live in the ground for several years and is commonly found in the Austin area
Clean areas accessible to dogs with a bleach and water solution in a 1 to 3 ratio to kill parvovirus
For details, call 943-3322.
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