Increase in unidentified virus spreading among pups in Central Province

An identified virus disease that used to spread among pups only in the Central Province is now at risk of spreading to other provinces as well, Veterinarian Dr. Upul Sagarathilaka said.

He said a vast spread of this disease was recorded in the Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and Matale districts within the Central Province (CP).

Moreover, he said that other than the above areas, the disease was reported to be spreading in the Kandy, Gampola, Hatton, Peradeniya, Ginigathhena and Hatton areas in the Kandy district as well.

This infection was found among pups less than eight months old in these districts. The infected pups were found to be suffering from respiratory difficulties (breathing problems), vomiting, diarrhea, discoloration of the gums, anorexia and laziness.

It was identified that this infection used to spread among mixed-breed dogs such as the German Shepherds and Labradors.

Therefore, Dr. Sagarathilaka requests dog breeders to avoid feeding frozen foods to puppies and avoid bathing them for 4 or 5 months.

This virus infection had been prevalent in the above mentioned areas for a long, but now the spread of this virus has reportedly increased. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)