State investigates virus that killed 4 Ohio dogs

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state’s Department of Agriculture is investigating whether four Ohio dogs had the same illness before dying and whether that disease was caused by a newly detected virus.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the department on Friday asked veterinarians in the state to watch for symptoms of vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weight loss and lethargy.

A department spokeswoman says it is unknown where the virus comes from and how it spreads. A fecal sample from one of the dead dogs tested positive for canine circovirus, a newly isolated virus.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center says the center performed a necropsy on another one of the dogs but couldn’t determine a cause of death. The center has given the department samples from the dog for further testing.