Mystery Illness Killing Michigan Dogs Not Yet Seen In Illinois

ILLINOIS — A mysterious illness that is killing dogs in the Northern part of Michigan has yet to reach Illinois, but that doesn’t mean that state officials are not concerned about the prospect that it could make its way here.

Earlier in the week, Michigan officials said the disease was similar to parvovirus. On Thursday, they confirmed that the illness is, in fact, parvo. The outbreak is causing vomiting and bloody diarrhea in dogs, leaving them dead within days.

The finding came despite parvo tests on some of the dogs coming back negative, according to the Otsego County Animal Shelter in Michigan, although State Veterinarian Nora Wineland said some early samples were positive for parvo. The shelter in Otsego has reported that as of this week, more than 20 dogs have died from the disease.

A spokeswoman from the Illinois Department of Agriculture told Patch on Wednesday that no cases of the illness have been reported yet in Illinois. However, officials from the state agency are monitoring the situation as it develops in a neighboring state.

“It is good to know when something is going on in a neighboring state so if needed we can take a closer look at imports to make sure they have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and have been seen recently by their vet before traveling,” Krista Lisser, the spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Agriculture, said in an email to Patch on Wednesday.

State health officials in Michigan told public officials in Clare County that more than 30 dogs there have died from the illness to date. Other neighboring communities in Northern Michigan have reported cases of the illness, which continues to affect more and more canines.

Health officials have said that the illness cannot be transferred to other animals or to humans.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has informed veterinarians here that if they see an uptick in illnesses among dogs at their offices, they should contact the agency by filling out this form.