Parvo outbreak among animals at Clayton shelter lead to shut down

Clayton County Animal Control has been forced to shut down for more than a week after a disease broke out among several of the animals.

Animal Control officers say they found an outbreak of Parvo at both of their facilities on Tuesday afternoon.

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Per Department of Agriculture requirements, the facilities in Ellenwood and Jonesboro will be closed for ten days while they are decontaminated.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, canine parvovirus is highly contagious. Symptoms of the virus include fever, persistent vomiting, diarrhea and more. It can cause damage to their intestines and possibly lead to death.

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The AVMA says the virus is not easily killed and takes time to fully decontaminate areas the infected animals have been.

Animal control officers say that if the decontamination process is completed early, the shelter may be able to reopen sooner than anticipated.

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