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OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — A contagious and deadly canine virus has surfaced at a Tennessee animal shelter.
Oak Ridge Police told WVLT-TV in Knoxville (http://bit.ly/1fQVsAh ) that distemper has shown up in two dogs and a third animal adopted from the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter in January may be infected.
The shelter has been shut down since Thursday afternoon. Workers are sanitizing the facility and testing dogs showing symptoms.
Oak Ridge Veterinary Hospital veterinarian Rick Hinson says infected dogs show symptoms ranging from flu-like to Parkinson's disease.
The shelter staff are vaccinating all new dogs that are brought in and separating dogs who show symptoms. They plan to reopen next week.
The city does not have any reported cases of feline distemper. The disease cannot be spread from dogs to cats.
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Information from: WVLT-TV, http://www.volunteertv.com/
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