Quarantine lifted at Douglas County Animal Shelter after virus outbreak
(Douglas County Animal Services )
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - A state-mandated quarantine on the Douglas County Animal Shelter after an outbreak of pneumovirus and parvovirus has been lifted.
Officials say the shelter reopened on Tuesday and normal business operations have resumed.
What we know:
On May 22, the Georgia Department of Agriculture issued the order after 13 dogs at the shelter tested positive for pneumovirus and three others were confirmed to have parvovirus.
Officials say the parvovirus cases were present in the animals before they arrived at the shelter, but their symptoms were not immediately detectable during intake.
The shelter, located at 2171 Mack Road in Douglasville, had voluntarily closed earlier in the day as a precaution before the quarantine was put into place.
Around 30 dogs will remain under quarantine, though the shelter says they have not shown symptoms. Those dogs are being housed in a separate part of the facility and are undergoing two weeks of monitoring.
What they're saying:
"The pneumovirus is significant because it lasts longer, is more contagious, and can sometimes cause pneumonia or other complications," said Vanessa Francikowski, director of Douglas County Animal Services. "While all animals are vaccinated upon intake to prevent disease transmission, some may arrive with unknown vaccination histories and may already be carrying active viruses."
Francikowski noted there is currently no vaccine available for pneumovirus, but the shelter worked closely with its in-house and state veterinarians to prevent further spread.
"I’m incredibly proud of our team for navigating this situation with such dedication and resilience," Francikowski said. "Typically, shelters impacted by Pneumovirus are shut down for six weeks or more. The speedy recovery of our animals is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff to the animals in our care."
What's next:
More than 45 dogs have completed treatment and are now available for adoption. The shelter's cat population was not affected by the outbreak.
Douglas County Animal Control has resumed normal operations and is responding to service calls.
The Source: The Douglas County Animal Shelter provided the details for this article.