Outbreak of highly contagious dog virus identified in High Point

HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) – There’s an outbreak of a highly contagious dog virus in east High Point.

Guilford County Animal Control has seen an uptick in the number of dogs coming in with canine parvovirus, and most of them are coming from the same area.

They’re seeing the cases in the one-mile radius from Furlough Avenue to Vine Street.

In the past two weeks, they’ve had 11 dogs brought here with parvo. Normally, they only see a handful of cases throughout the entire summer.

“It could be a very long summer with parvo,” said Dr. Melinda Whitaker, the chief veterinarian with Guilford County Animal Services.

It’s a concerning thing to see in the first full week of May.

“This year, it’s really started earlier,” said Jorge Ortega, director of Guilford County Animal Services.

Ortega said they are quarantining nearly a dozen dogs with parvovirus, which causes vomiting and bloody diarrhea and can be deadly for our furry friends.

“Our concern or kind of the red flags is that we are seeing it … almost every day coming into the facility right now,” Ortega said.

Those sick dogs are coming into Guilford County Animal Control from the same neighborhood, and many of them came in at the same time. Four came in at once.

“It’s very concerning to me because it tells me that there is a void in that area,” Dr. Whitaker said.

Another concern is how quickly and easily parvo can spread.

“The animal poops out the virus,” Whitaker said. “The virus stays in … the grass or on the sidewalk or on your shoes, and then you can take it home on your shoes.”

It doesn’t take much to infect other pets.

“The virus can live a long time in the environment,” Ortega said. “All it takes is one or two dogs to walk in through that infected area.”

That’s why vets are stressing the importance of getting your pet vaccinated.

While parvo is very common in puppies, older dogs that aren’t up to date on their shots can also get it.

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