Lucknow, May 9 : An outbreak of parvovirus among dogs has caused a scare among pet owners in Lucknow. According to veterinarians, they are receiving 40-50 cases per week in comparison to five to six weekly earlier. The virus, if not reported on time, could turn fatal. The death of two pet dogs have been reported so far. Shambhu Chaudhary, a private veterinarian, said, "The virus is extremely contagious, but can be contained through vaccination. Parvovirus infection is very common in winter, but this time we are witnessing the outbreak in summers because of fluctuation in weather conditions and huge variation in temperatures due to the recent rainy spell." Another veterinarian, Rajneesh Chandra, said, "The virus attacks the intestinal tracts and stomach of dogs, especially of the exotic breeds, leading to fever, loss of appetite and dysentery, which if not treated early, could result in death." The virus, he added, is highly contagious and spreads from one dog to another in the vicinity through air and touch, if kept in close proximity or while coming in contact during strolls in places like parks etc. Fever followed by loss of appetite and vomiting are the early signs of the infection. People must take dogs to veterinarians rather than relying on over-the-counter drugs based on symptoms of allergy or flu, he said. Shashi Kumar, who recently lost his dog to the infection, said, "I got the pet vaccinated against parvovirus about 15 months ago but had no idea that it had to be repeated after a gap of 12 months. Due to the three months delay, my dog got infected with the virus and died." /IANS