In Michigan, many of puppies are passing away from a strange illness that appears to be a lethal virus and has no known treatment.

Officials in Michigan said that dozens of canines, predominantly puppies, have passed away from an unknown sickness. According to officials, the condition resembles parvo but might also be a different or new strain. A director of animal control advised against walking dogs outside and urged owners to keep them inside. Join our weekday newsletter list to receive original analysis, news, and trends in your inbox. Local authorities in Michigan said that dozens of canines, the majority of which were puppies, have passed away from an ailment that is currently being investigated.

According to authorities, as of Monday, over 30 canines had passed away in the state’s Otsego County, according to local news source MLive reported .

According to Melissa Fitzgerald, the director of the Otsego County Animal Shelter/Control, the majority of those canines were younger than two years old, however one was reportedly older than four.

According to Rudi Hicks, the county’s director of animal control, more than 30 dogs in Clare County, which is about 70 miles from Otsego County, were also discovered to have perished from the sickness as of Tuesday.

The state is in a panic right now, Hicks reportedly remarked, according to the Clare County Cleaver: .

The American Kennel Club classifies parvo, a highly contagious virus that can be lethal, especially to pups and unvaccinated dogs, as describes , and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said the illness was comparable to it. There is no treatment for parvo.

However, the agriculture department claimed that after testing one dog with the symptoms, parvo was found to be absent.

Fitzgerald, the Otsego County administrator, stated that several of the deceased dogs had tested positive for parvo, which signals a new strain of the virus may be to blame for the illness.

She claimed that the virus was similar to parvo but may be a different strain, according to USA Today.
The symptoms in the dogs include diarrhea and vomiting, the Detroit Free Press reported .

The Clare County Cleaver reports that Hicks advised owners to keep their dogs at home throughout the virus’s identification process, saying, “Keep your dogs home, don’t take them to dog parks, don’t walk them.”

The agricultural department of Michigan stated that it was collaborating with other federal and state agencies, regional vets, and regional animal control organizations to find out more about the condition.

It was stated that both people and other animals are immune.