2017 Science@CornellVet: Predicting outbreaks--what we can learn from dog virus epidemics

Abstract

This blog post is about: “KILLER VIRUS HITS DOGS” headlined newspapers in 1978 reporting the outbreak of a pandemic of unknown origin. It spread rapidly across the globe and infected approximately 90 percent of the global dog population. Puppies were most affected, showing severe vomiting and diarrhea that killed many of them. What caused such devastation? Thanks to Cornell researchers, we now know this disease as Canine Parvovirus (CPV), and dogs are now routinely vaccinated against it. In fact, Cornell scientists identified the causative viral agent and were able to develop a vaccine to prevent further spread of the epidemic within two years.