Parvo can live in the ground, the grass, on bushes – pretty much anywhere (although it is not an airborne virus). Disease prevention is always less costly (and risky) than treating a condition your pet has developed.
According to Utah Veterinary Clinics, parvo can live in the environment for six months to one year.
The best household cleaner to use to kill parvovirus is bleach (1 part bleach to 30 parts water). It should be used on hard surfaces including tiles, concrete, paving bottoms of shoes etc – leave the bleach on the surface at least 10-15 minutes. Anything that can be washed in bleach should be.
Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious virus. Young, old, unvaccinated, or immune-compromised dogs are particularly susceptible. Parvo, as it is typically called, or CPV, lives well in the environment, both indoors and outside.
The virus can live on contaminated surfaces or clothing for up to 5-6 months. Parvovirus becomes widespread throughout the body in 3-4 days.
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.
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.
Commonly called “parvo”, the organism is very stable in the environment, able to withstand freezing temperatures and many disinfectants to survive as long as seven months in a contaminated area.
Parvo can be found in almost any environment. It is transmitted when a susceptible dog comes in contact with the virus. This includes contact with the feces of an infected dog, or objects that contain the virus (shoes, clothes, bedding, bowls, grass, carpets, floors, etc).
Canine parvovirus can be found in almost any environment, but not every dog who comes into contact with the virus becomes infected. Several factors come into play in infection, including the immune status of the dog and the number of viruses the dog is exposed to.
4. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. Parvo can live in the ground, the grass, on bushes – pretty much anywhere (although it is not an airborne virus). Disease prevention is always less costly (and risky) than treating a condition your pet has developed.
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.
Products that are effective at killing parvoviruses include Rescue™ (accelerated hydrogen peroxide), potassium peroxymonosulfate (e.g., Virkon® or Trifectant®), calcium hypochlorite (e.g., Wysiwash®), bleach, and sodium dichloroisocyanurate (e.g., Bruclean®).
Parvovirus can survive months on surfaces such as concrete so infections can still be transmitted to new dogs after your dog is recovered. This is especially important to consider when thinking about bringing another puppy into your home, either to add to your family or even if they are just visiting.
Puppies are at the greatest risk for parvo between the ages of 6 weeks to 6 months. Puppies can receive their parvo vaccinations at 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age. They must receive a full series of vaccinations to ensure complete immunity. Puppies require a parvo booster vaccine between 14 and 16 weeks of age.
The Parvo virus can live nine months to a year in favorable conditions such as dirt, concrete, and soil. It can live up to six months in fabric and carpets.
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.
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.
High heat will kill parvovirus but it has to be temperatures of around 120-130 degrees Celsius for a period of 15 minutes. Sunlight can also deactivate the virus.
Since puppies are often born in the spring and become vulnerable to the virus eight to ten weeks after birth, you often see more parvovirus outbreaks in the summer and early fall.
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.
Luckily, parvovirus is only contagious between dogs; humans and other species cannot be contaminated. However, anyone can transmit the virus if they come into contact with an infected pet or areas. Your dog's best line of defense is routine, up-to-date vaccination.
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 primary source of the virus is the feces of infected dogs. The virus begins to be shed in the feces just before clinical signs develop, and shedding continues for about fourteen days after clinical signs resolve. Susceptible dogs become infected by ingesting the virus.