Monday, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture placed the New Britain Animal shelter under quarantine after several dogs were tested positive with canine parvovirus, commonly known as parvo. Parvo is a contagious virus with a very high mortality rate for untreated dogs. According to reports, parvo has been in the New Britain Animal Shelter since at least May 20th.

Most dogs are vaccinated against parvo, but dogs that run wild or are not properly cared for by veterinarians can contract and spread parvo. At times, parvo can be a major problem in larger cities and animal control officers may impound dogs with parvo. Normally, a shelter contacts the Department of Agriculture when a case of parvo is detected and the department quarantines the shelter for two weeks. Based on initial reports, the parvo outbreak was over two weeks ago which would mean that the department would not place the shelter under quarantine. However, subsequent reports indicated that as recently as June 7th, a dog was diagnosed with parvo and put to sleep. When the Department of Agriculture learned of the continued problem they promptly addressed the situation placing the New Britain Animal Shelter under quarantine. As with other requests about animal safety, requests for comment from New Britain Mayor Tim Stewart about the parvo outbreak were not returned.

While parvo is not a threat to people who have mature dogs that have been vaccinated for parvo, it can be a threat to young puppies that are not old enough to be vaccinated. Residents of New Britain are urged to make sure that their dogs have been properly vaccinated and to keep young puppies that are not old enough to be vaccinated in doors.

Fortunately, parvo is not a zoonotic disease that is a threat to humans. Yet as zoonotic diseases become more common, such as H1N1, concerns about how well prepared our state is to address animal borne illnesses becomes more important. When the Department of Agriculture learned of the outbreak, they handled the situation efficiently. However, there are concerns about why the Department of Agriculture was not notified, and why Mayor Stewart fails to address public safety issues.