Canine parvovirus is a highly infectious virus that kills thousands of dogs every year. The disease emerged in the 1970s and spread unchecked, causing a global epidemic in 1978. While the epidemic was halted due to the development of a vaccine, outbreaks do still occur.

On this month’s Microbe Talk, Matt talks to Dr Colin Parrish, a veterinary virologist based at Cornell University in New York, USA. Along with the emergence of canine parvovirus, Colin discusses the problems it can cause and what his lab are doing to tackle the disease.