Osceola County Animal Control officials have confirmed three cases of canine parvovirus at the Animal Control kennel in St. Cloud.

All three dogs had the virus when they were brought to the kennel. As a result, the dog kennel will be closed and adoptions will cease until Friday while staff cleans and disinfects the area. The dog kennel and adoptions will reopen at 10 a.m. Friday.

Canine parvovirus will not infect humans; however, it is very contagious among dogs, easily passed from one to the other by direct or indirect contact with their feces. Humans may also transmit the virus on the bottoms of their shoes.

Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, dysentery and/or respiratory or cardiovascular failure, especially in young puppies, with mortality reaching into the 90th percentile if left untreated.

Animal Control staff has seen an increase in the number of canine parvovirus cases, which may be due to the increased rains in the last few weeks, which can transport the virus to other areas, County spokesman Larry Krause said.

In order to reduce the potential spread of the virus, officials at Animal Control will quarantine approximately nine dogs that have been in the area of the affected dogs for the next 7-10 days to see whether they develop symptoms.

Officials ask that citizens wishing to surrender their dogs either wait until Friday or call for alternate options. The kennel will remain open to those needing to look for a lost pet.

As this virus does not affect felines, cat adoptions will continue uninterrupted, and the cat kennel remains open.

Anyone suspecting their dog may have parvovirus is asked to take it to their veterinarian for diagnosis and/or treatment.

Osceola County Animal Control is located at 3910 Old Canoe Creek Road, St. Cloud, FL 34769.

For more information, contact Osceola County Animal Control at 407-742-8000.