By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

An unidentified viral disease that had spread among pups only in the Central Province is now at risk of spreading to other provinces as well, Veterinarian Dr. Upul Sagarathilaka said.  

He said a vast spread of this disease was recorded in the Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and Matale districts within the Central Province (CP).  

Moreover, he said that the disease was reported to have spread in Kandy, Gampola, Hatton, Peradeniya, Ginigathhena and Hatton areas in the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya District.  
The infection was found among pups less than eight months old in these districts. The infected pups were found to be suffering from respiratory problems, vomiting, diarrhea, discoloration of the gums, anorexia and laziness.  

It was identified that the infection was prevalent among mixed-breed dogs such as  German Shepherds and Labradors.  Therefore, Dr. Sagarathilaka requests dog breeders to avoid feeding frozen foods to puppies and avoid bathing them for 4 or 5 months.   This virus infection had been prevalent in the above mentioned areas for a long, but now the spread of this virus has reportedly increased.