Distemper outbreak at an animal shelter

[Catherine]

There has been a distemper outbreak at an Ohio animal shelter. One dog that was euthanized last month tested positive for the disease. There were other dogs showing symptoms. In the end the shelter has euthanized 52 dogs (without testing them for distemper) and quarantined others. They may yet euthanize more dogs.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...t=2&at=dt0


This is a serious situation. Distemper is highly contagious and airborne. The shelter does have over 300 dogs.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...999&at=dt0


It is hard to second guess the decisions that were made when we are not there to see what is actually happening.
I think the real tragedy is the fact that there were so many dogs in the shelter in the first place. They couldn't possibly properly quarantine animals coming in  when they have so many. Also, distemper is so preventable. The vaccine has existed for many years. No adult dog should have been able to get distemper. It should have been vaccinated as a puppy. All this was preventable.

I do hope the shelter reviews its infection prevention protocols and maybe looks for a way to reduce its numbers, perhaps by transfers to other shelters.