Canine distemper virus resurfaces in Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- According to Starkville Police, the canine distemper virus has resurfaced in the area.

On Friday, the department posted to their Facebook page informing the public that three raccoons within city limits tested positive for the virus over the last month and a half.

Starkville PD said there are no reports of area dogs with the virus at this time.

The virus is highly contagious and is commonly found in such wild animals as skunks, foxes, dogs, raccoons, ferrets, and wolves.

“This is something that we see periodically. This isn’t the first time we’ve put things out about it over the years. It’s a highly contagious virus. We just want to bring awareness to it that we are seeing cases again. These are in wild raccoons that we’ve seen at this point, but it can be seen in other canine species. We just recommend that you stay up to date on your shots with your pets,” said Sgt. G. Brandon Lovelady.

Distemper is spread by direct contact, sneezing or coughing, or indirect contact, sharing bedding and water bowls, with an infected animal.