50 known cases of parvovirus in Windsor, but case numbers are levelling off

Animal Welfare Services (AWS) has seen a slight increase in the total number of animals exhibiting signs of parvovirus in the Windsor area, but the province says the number of animals taken into care by AWS has levelled off since the last week of December.

As of Friday, there were 50 known cases of parvo in the community, according to Brian Gray, a spokesperson for the Solicitor General, which Animal Welfare Services falls under.

That was up from 49 on Dec. 31.

The total number of animals with parvo taken into AWS care was steady at 36 from Dec. 31 to Jan. 3, he said.

"The stabilization of these numbers indicates that the measures implemented by AWS to control the spread of the virus are showing positive results," Gray said in an email to CBC.

AWS identified the outbreak on Dec. 4.

By Dec. 19, it had become aware of 34 dogs impacted by it, 18 of which had died, ministry spokesperson Brent Ross said at the time.

Parvo spreads from dog to dog and can cause lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever, becoming fatal if left untreated. Symptoms usually appear within a week.

But the illness can be prevented almost 100 per cent of the time with the routine vaccinations dogs receive from their vets.

The Windsor Essex County Humane Society has three vaccination clinics planned for the weekend.

• Jan. 10 at 920 Ouellette Ave. from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Jan. 11 at 255 Riverside Dr. from 10 a.m. to noon .
• Jan. 11 at 333 Glengarry Ave. from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Parvovirus does not impact humans or cats.

The virus exists in the community on a regular basis, said Humane Society Executive Director Lynnette Bain, speaking to CBC in December.

"It's just we don't see it in large numbers," she said.

But she said it can become a concern if people become lax about vaccination.