Parvovirus, commonly known as parvo, is a highly contagious virus that can be devastating and even fatal to dogs. Parvo attacks a dog’s gastrointestinal system and can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and sometimes death. Understandably, dog owners are very concerned about protecting their pets from contracting parvo. This leads to the common question: can parvo be carried on clothing and infect a healthy dog?
How is parvo spread?
Parvo is spread through direct or indirect contact with infected feces. The parvo virus is extremely environmentally stable and can persist in the environment for months or even years if conditions are favorable. Some of the main ways parvo is transmitted:
- Direct contact with infected feces from an infected dog
- Contact with soil, floors, or other objects contaminated with infected feces
- Eating food or drinking water contaminated with infected feces
- Contact with people or objects contaminated with traces of infected feces, such as shoes or clothing
The parvo virus cannot survive for long periods in the air so airborne transmission is not a concern. However, the virus can be easily transported on objects like shoes, clothing, flooring, bowls, and other objects that have come in contact with infected feces. This is why parvo is so easily spread between environments.
Can parvo be carried on clothing?
Yes, it is absolutely possible for parvo virus particles to be carried on contaminated clothing or other objects.
If shoes, clothing, or other objects come into contact with infected feces or environments contaminated with parvo, they can then carry traces of the virus to new environments. The parvo virus is extremely hardy and can survive for 5-7 months on objects and clothing if conditions are right.
Even a few virus particles transported this way can be enough to infect a vulnerable dog. Puppies, unvaccinated dogs, and dogs with weak immune systems are especially susceptible.
Some ways parvo could be carried on clothing:
- Stepping or kneeling in infected feces or soil and tracking it to a new environment
- Petting or handling an infected dog and getting feces particles on clothing
- Visiting an area with parvo outbreaks like a shelter or breeding facility
- Living in a home or facility with a parvo infection
So while parvo itself cannot survive for long in the air, contaminated objects and clothing act as a vehicle to transport parvo between environments and spread the infection.
What items are highest risk for carrying parvo?
The highest risk items for transporting parvo particles are:
- Shoes – Easy to step in infected feces and hard to fully disinfect
- Clothing – Can brush against contaminated objects or dogs
- Hands and skin – Easily contact infected feces and touch objects or dogs
- Mop heads, brooms, vacuum cleaners – Used to clean infected environments
- Bowls, kennels, beds – In close contact with infected dogs
- Dog toys – Often put in mouths and contact feces
Items that directly contact contaminated feces, soil, or environments pose the highest risk. But even clothing or objects that have just brushed against contamination can potentially transmit parvo particles.
What items are lower risk for carrying parvo?
Some items pose a lower risk of transmitting parvo, though they can still be possible modes of transmission in some cases:
- Handbags, backpacks – Do not usually directly contact feces
- Keys, phones – Less likely to contact feces directly
- Wallets, electronics – Protected inside bags or pockets
The main factors that increase or decrease risk are:
- Direct contact with feces or contaminated environments
- Frequency/probability of contact with feces sources
- Ease of washing/disinfecting the item
So while almost any object could potentially carry traces of parvo, the highest risks come from items in frequent, direct contact with known sources of infection that are hard to disinfect.
How to prevent carrying parvo on clothes
To minimize the chance of carrying parvo on clothing, important preventative steps include:
- Avoid areas with known parvo outbreaks
- Leave shoes outside if visiting infected environments
- Wash hands and disinfect footwear after contacting questionable areas
- Change clothes and shoes after visiting questionable areas
- Wash and disinfect any objects that contacted contaminated environments
- Ask visitors to sanitize hands and shoes before entering your home
- Keep unvaccinated puppies isolated from outside clothing and shoes
Care should be taken when visiting places like shelters, dog parks, breeding facilities, pet stores, and groomers where there is greater risk of parvo contamination. Extra precautions should be taken when returning home to unvaccinated or high-risk dogs.
Killing parvo on clothes
While the parvo virus is extremely hardy, there are methods proven to kill parvo on contaminated clothing and objects:
- Washing in hot water and detergent
- Bleach – Mix 1 part bleach to 32 parts water
- Steam cleaning
- Dry heat of at least 140 F for over 30 minutes
- UV light
- Parvocide disinfectants specifically labeled for parvo
Items that can withstand hot water or chemical disinfection are the easiest to decontaminate. More delicate objects may need UV light treatments or dry heat in order to kill parvo without damaging the object.
Thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting clothing, shoes, and other objects that contacted questionable areas is important to prevent carrying parvo particles home. Items that cannot be disinfected should be restricted from areas housing unvaccinated puppies.
How long can parvo live on clothes?
On clothing and other objects, the parvo virus can survive:
- 5-7 months in optimal conditions (cool and shaded)
- 1-2 months in moderate conditions
- Less than 1 month in harsh conditions (direct sun, extreme temperatures)
Factors impacting virus survival:
| Factor | Increases Survival | Decreases Survival |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Cool, mild temps | Hot or freezing temps |
| Humidity | Low humidity | High humidity |
| Direct Sunlight | Shaded | Direct sun exposure |
| Outdoor Exposure | Indoors or covered | Outdoors exposed to elements |
Under optimal cool, dry, shaded conditions, parvo can survive for many months. But hot, humid, or sunny environments significantly shorten virus lifespan. Proper cleaning and disinfection will further reduce survival time.
Protecting dogs from contaminated clothing
To protect dogs from exposure to contaminated clothing, key steps are:
- Leave exposed clothing and shoes outside the home
- Immediately wash and disinfect any items that contacted questionable areas
- Change clothes when returning from high-risk locations
- Ask visitors to remove or sanitize outerwear before entering
- Restrict outside apparel from puppy areas – use dedicated clothing and shoes
- Isolate and supervise young puppies when exposed to outside clothing
Unvaccinated puppies under 4 months old are especially vulnerable and should have very limited exposure to outside clothing and objects which could carry parvo. Supervision is key to prevent sneaking sniffs or licks of contaminated items.
Should clothes be washed after visiting dog parks?
Visiting high dog traffic areas like dog parks does increase the risk of picking up parvo particles on clothing and shoes even if no feces are visible. While outright avoidance of these locations is ideal, if you do visit it is smart to:
- Avoid sitting or lying on ground
- Keep dogs from jumping on clothing
- Wash hands before leaving the park
- Change clothes and shoes after visiting
- Wash clothing in hot water and dryer immediately upon returning home
- Isolate exposed items from puppies for at least 5 days
These precautions minimize what is brought home and allow time for any residual parvo particles to die off before being near vulnerable dogs again. Caution is recommended, but basic hygiene and isolation procedures can lower risks.
Conclusion
Parvo is a highly contagious virus that can definitely be carried on objects like clothing, shoes, and other items that contact infected feces. While not every exposure leads to infection, parvo particles can survive for extremely long periods on fabrics and surfaces. To protect vulnerable dogs, care should be taken to prevent contaminated apparel from near unvaccinated puppies. However, proper hygiene, isolation, and disinfection procedures can effectively neutralize even trace amounts of parvo and stop the spread of infection.