# Corona Virus Outbreak



## bluefamily (Aug 8, 2007)

We had an outbreak of Corona virus here in our local animal shelter and the Cajun Coutry K9 club asked me to put together an article about it. Since we all have dogs, here is my offering to you all as well.

It's BAAACCK!-Corona virus Outbreak

We thought science had eradicated it but Corona virus has reared it ugly head again. In early August 2008, in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, our Animal Shelter was hit hard by Corona virus and 162 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens had to be euthanized. From the news reports the source of it was not isolated. Not only does it affect dogs, but cats, pigs and cattle.

"That doesn't have anything to do with me, my dogs are healthy and that isn't my parish or county."' you may think but let's reevaluate how safe our dogs are. Since the origin of this outbreak was never discovered, can you as owners truly say that? How many stray dogs wander through your neighborhood or pass by your road? Just because it isn't in your yard directly, IT CAN AFFECT THE HEALTH OF YOUR DOGS. Look at Breed Specific Legislation. It didn't start in your yard but the impact is felt across the nation and severely restricts where we can have our weight pulls, our shows or even if your dog can compete at all in some towns.

Cornell University's School of Veterinary Medicine (www.bakerinstitue.vet.cornell.edu/cahrc/CCV.htm), educates their clients in the following article:

An Overview of Canine Corona virus
The canine corona virus (CCV), though significantly less severe than either distemper or parvovirus, is nevertheless recognized as an important pathogen of dogs that is capable of producing a debilitating sickness. It is thought that CCV sometimes strikes in conjunction with canine parvovirus, causing an illness more deadly than that triggered by either virus alone.
Though there is evidence that it existed earlier, CCV was first described in 1971 by a German scientist. In the three decades since the virus has been documented in the United States, Thailand, Australia, and throughout Europe. Despite the fact that it is not as vicious a killer as either parvovirus or distemper, it is still recommended that your pet's vaccination schedule include shots for CCV.

Why and how might my dog become infected?
The route of transmission for this virus is fecal-oral, meaning that infected dogs shed viral particles in their feces, and healthy dogs contract the disease by licking, eating or even drinking substances that have been contaminated. CCV capsids are acid resistant, and thus pass unharmed through the dog's stomach on their way to the target organ, the small intestine. 
The incubation period is short, and vomiting and diarrhea generally appear 1 to 3 days after initial exposure. The symptoms are a result of the virus infecting the cells covering the upper two-thirds of the villi lining the small intestine. The infection is confined to the intestines and damage is limited further to mature cells - the intestine's ability to produce new, healthy cells remains uncompromised. Nevertheless, the infected villi become damaged and blunted to such an extent that the small intestine can no longer effectively absorb nutrients.
It is not known precisely how long CCV particles can survive outside the animal, but given data from studies of exposure in healthy dogs, it can be assumed that the virus is extremely common in the environment. Despite this, not every dog will become infected. This is because several factors influence the effectiveness of the virus. Host vitality (overall health of the dog, immune experience, vaccination status), virulence of the virus (the number of viral particles in a given area), and other environmental factors (stress, dry weather, cold weather) all interact and ultimately determine whether or not an individual dog will become infected. The most important factors seem to be the immune level of the individual dog and the number of viral particles the dog is exposed to. If each factor is 'just right' however, a dog will become infected. When this occurs, a specific sequence of events is initiated as the virus attacks the body.
As a testament to the relative mildness of CCV, healing of intestinal inflammation is generally complete within 1 week. Despite its mildness when contracted alone, it is important to note that, if contracted in conjunction with CPV, the resulting illness is far more severe than either CCV or CPV alone.
How will my vet reach a diagnosis of CCV?
Like so many viral infections, the symptoms of CCV are nonspecific and often ambiguous. Bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, mild depression, and loss of appetite are all signs that CCV may be present. A low grade fever has sometimes been observed with CCV infections, but it is easy to overlook such a symptom.
Diagnosis is generally a process of elimination, and there is no definitive test for CCV. Perhaps the most helpful tool when seeking a diagnosis of CCV is electron microscopy. A sample is examined under the electron microscope for signs of the characteristic viral particles. There is some margin for error with this procedure however as CCV particles are not particularly stable and may disintegrate before the lab has a chance to examine the sample.
A veterinarian will therefore take all lab test, symptoms, and vaccination history into account when searching for a diagnosis.
What are the treatment options for dogs with CCV?
There is no cure for CCV. It is not however usually a fatal affliction, and supportive treatment is usually sufficient to assure a complete recovery. A sick dog should be placed in a warm, comfortable environment and monitored to be sure that dehydration does not become too severe. In cases involving particularly harsh bouts of vomiting or diarrhea, intravenous fluids may be given, but this is rare with CCV. 
How do I vaccinate my pet against CCV?
Not every veterinary hospital recommends vaccination against CCV, but many include the vaccine as part of the combined distemper/parvo shot. These inoculations are given every 3-4 weeks from the time a puppy is 6 weeks old until he is at least 16 weeks of age.

How else can I help prevent the disease?
The keys to preventing CCV infection are vaccinations and avoidance. Unvaccinated puppies and adult dogs should be kept away from public places where many dogs are likely to be present. Crowded, unsanitary conditions should be shunned, and owners should seek to alleviate stress in their pets.
The virus is not as rugged as the nearly indestructible parvovirus, and can be wiped out by cleaning with a 3% bleach solution.
Also keep in mind there are combination vaccines available through many feed stores, online pet health companies in addition to your local veterinarian that include Corona virus
So let's everyone remember, we are responsible to do our part in protecting our dogs. We are all our dogs have to depend on for their good health.


----------



## MSK (Aug 13, 2008)

Corona is very serious I lost a pup from my female Pepsi's last breeding from it Although the pup appeared healthy when i picked Pepsi and the rest of my pups up all of my pup actually relapsed not even 2 days after returning home unfortunately my male was the runt of the litter and he just wasn't strong enough to pull through it the second time around. Something everyone with dogs has to be ready for the possibility of getting sick especially in pups.


----------



## MADBood (May 31, 2008)

Yeah you definately wanna give them a ccv vaccine these days. As cheap as vaccines are when administering them yourself, why not just give them the seven in one shot? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I am a firm believer in not over vaccinating your dogs, however. We like to give our pups parvo and distemper at 4 weeks and then the 5-in-1 (no Lepto) vaccine thereafter in two week intervals until they are 16 weeks, then they get a 7-in 1 booster and that's it (with the exception of rabies). We don't believe in annual vaccinations as there have been studies proving that over-vaccinating can cause more harm than good. I believe there is actually a petetion on care2petetion.com that is trying to ban veterinarians from telling ppl they need annual vaccines. I don't see anything wrong with vaccinating every three years if you must for the non-core vaccines but parvo and distemper vaccines last many years.


----------



## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

I remebre the first out break that ever happen in my home town (1985). It was awful it was a mother collie dog and she had had 11 pups. All the pup came down with the virus. I worked alot of long hours trying to save those little guys. I lost all but two of them. It was a sad time.


----------

