Answer: Hello, In regards to your first question, parvovirus is pretty hardy virus, as I am sure you are aware. There are some studies stating that it can be inactivated readily at boiling temperatures (212 degrees F); unfortunately this isn't an option in conventional washing machines.
Bleach can kill parvovirus when it is used properly. It is readily available and is relatively inexpensive, but has some drawbacks.
Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water will remove the virus. Specific disinfectants need to be used to remove parvovirus from the environment, including toys, clothing and cages.
Disinfectants like Dettol, Clorox, Lysol, Odoban and Alcohol will NOT kill parvovirus.
Commercial high heat dishwasher preferred (because of high temperature and mechanical cleaning, these are generally sufficient even for Parvovirus/Panleukopenia). If washing dishes by hand, WASH before disinfecting.
Parvovirus can survive on clothing, toys, human skin, and in the environment. Therefore, indirect transmission can occur when a puppy comes in contact with a contaminated person or object. As previously mentioned, parvovirus can survive indoors at room temperature for a couple of months.
Infection with parvovirus occurs when a puppy is exposed to contaminated feces or to an object, such as shoes or a sidewalk, which has been contaminated by feces. The virus can live on contaminated surfaces or clothing for up to 5-6 months.
“Remember, no hand sanitizer is effective against the most durable pathogens, such as the parvoviruses or ringworm.”
Performacide is EPA-Registered to kill canine parvovirus, feline calicivirus, avian influenza-A virus, MRSA, E. coli, and many more viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, mold and mildew. Performacide is easy to use. It requires no wiping and no rinsing.
The virus can survive on clothing, equipment, on human skin, and in the environment. Indirect transmission occurs when a puppy comes into contact with a contaminated person, object, or environment. The parvovirus is a particularly resilient virus.
Parvo is an environmental pathogen transferred by a fecal-oral cycle that is so infectious that even after parvo-infected dog poop is washed away by rain or snow, the virus can remain in the soil, local veterinarians explained.
Parvo is easily transmitted from place-to-place by contaminated shoes or other objects. Even trace amounts of feces from an infected dog may harbor the virus and infect other dogs that come into the environment.
Canine Parvovirus Facts & Symptoms
Researchers discovered that the virus can only survive in fabrics for about six months (which is still a really long time). The Parvo Virus is extremely contagious and is spread through the feces and possibly the vomit of other dogs as well.
The best thing you can use to kill parvovirus is a bleach solution. Mix one part bleach to 30 parts water and allow the item to be in contact with this solution for 10-15 minutes before thoroughly rinsing it off with water.
To kill canine parvovirus on hard non-porous surfaces, prepare a disinfecting solution of ½ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach and one gallon of water. Pre-wash the areas and then mop or wipe with the disinfecting solution. Let stand for ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly and air dry.
Once a dog has recovered from parvo, it is unlikely that they will contract the virus again. The immunity from the virus lasts for several years, protecting your dog from reinfection. It is theoretically possible for a dog to get parvo twice, but such chances are very slim.
The single best and cheapest way to prevent parvo is to vaccinate your dogs and puppies. Every single one of them. If you're thinking of breeding your dogs or if they haven't been “fixed,” make sure that you get them vaccinated.
This means even vaccinated puppies may occasionally be infected by parvovirus and develop disease. To reduce gaps in protection and provide the best protection against parvovirus during the first few months of life, a series of puppy vaccinations are administered.
Parvovirus, commonly known as “parvo,” is a contagious virus that can be very serious and even fatal in dogs. Dr. Jennifer Reinhart, a small animal internal medicine specialist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, explains that parvo is a problem that can be seen in dogs of any age.
It can survive for several years in certain environments. Most regular household cleaners do not kill this virus. Anywhere that a dog infected with parvovirus has been should be considered contaminated. This includes footwear and clothing worn by people who have handled the dog while it is sick.
Unlike most other viruses, CPV is stable in the environment and is resistant to heat, detergents, alcohol, and many disinfectants. A 1:30 bleach solution will destroy the infective virus.
Parvo is a very hardy virus in the environment and is resistant to extreme heat, freezing, detergents and many disinfectants.
Lethargy. A common sign of parvo in puppies and older dogs is lethargy. Your puppy will lose interest in all play and will appear nearly lifeless when approached.
Parvo is so infectious that humans can spread it unknowingly to other dogs if they have recently come into contact with an infected pup, just by touching them. This means an innocent pat on the head could result in a life-threatening condition.
Canine parvo is a particularly hardy bug and can live for up to two years on surfaces or outside of the body. This means that clothes, hands, shoes, bedding or any other item that has come in contact with canine parvo can spread it to a healthy dog unless properly sterilized.