A Salford veterinary clinic has issued a warning to the Greater Manchester public following a rise in identified cases of a deadly and highly-contagious virus.
Irlam Animal Clinic has said it is seeing increasing numbers of puppies and young dogs suffering from Parvovirus, which is disease that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs, as well as reduced appetite and low energy.
Parvovirus is easily spread by animals touching surfaces, and can live in soil in parks and gardens for as long as a year.
The disease can be fatal if left untreated.
Due to the rise in cases, Caroline Taylor – a vet at Irlam Animal Clinic – has urged pet owners to keep up with vaccinations.
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With certain larger black and tan breeds of dog, such as Rottweilers and Dobermans, said to be more at risk of the virus, she has also urged owners to consider getting their four-legged friends a second dose earlier than usual, as most dogs are vaccinated when they are very young, but it can be difficult for vets to tell whether the treatment has been successful.
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Dr Taylor has suggested that pets go for a second injection in their first year.
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“There’s been an increase in the number of Parvovirus cases we see and the other worry for us is that some of the dogs have been vaccinated,” Dr Taylor explained.
“It’s probably because they were very young when they were vaccinated.”
She continued: “It’s not just us who are seeing an increase in Parvovirus cases, it’s happening in lots of places [and] it does dogs no harm to go back to the vets to get another vaccine at six months or nine months, so that’s what we would advise.
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“Usually vaccines for dogs are all done in one, but we have got a specific Parvovirus one which is just for that and it’s a bit cheaper”.
“It’s spread from infected dogs through anything they’ve touched, or by their faeces [and] it can live in the environment, such as the soil in a park or garden, for up to a year.
“Signs of Parvovirus include watery diarrhoea, which may have blood in, vomiting, reduced appetite and low energy [and] sadly it can often be fatal, with young puppies being particularly at risk, so call your vet immediately if you have any concerns.
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“It’s vitally important not to turn up at your vet practice unannounced [however as] many vets have made changes due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which will still be in place even now full lockdown has ended.
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“They will also need to take steps to prevent any potential spread to other pet patients.
“If your dog has missed their boosters or has never had vaccinations, we’d advise getting them up-to-date as soon as possible”.
You can find more information on Parvovirus via the PDSA website here.
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Government to begin giving millions of UK workers ‘significant’ pay rises from this week
Emily Sergeant
The Government is to begin giving more than three million workers across the UK a ‘significant pay boost’ from this week.
Announced as part of last year’s Budget, and in a bid to ‘put thousands of pounds back in the pockets of working people every year’, the Government confirmed back at the beginning of February that a new National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour, and a new National Minimum Wage of £10 per hour would take effect from April onwards.
Ministers said the 6.7% increase to the National Living Wage – which is now worth £1,400 a year for an eligible full-time worker – is a ‘significant step’ towards delivering the manifesto commitment to deliver a ‘genuine’ living wage.
Today, millions of working people will get a pay rise as the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage increase.
New rates:
🔹 from £11.44 to £12.21 if you’re 21 and over 🔹 from £8.60 to £10.00 if you’re 18-20 🔹 from £6.40 to £7.55 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 1, 2025
On top of this, the National Minimum Wage for 18-20-year-olds is also set to go up by a record increase of £1.40 an hour, which means full-time younger workers eligible for the rate will see their pay boosted by £2,500 a year.
The minimum wage pay boot has also been called the first step towards removing the ‘unfair’ age-bands that see a 21-year-old getting paid more than a 20-year-old for doing the same job.
According to the Government, this is also the first time the National Living Wage has taken into account the cost of living and inflation.
Three million UK workers will be getting a ‘significant’ pay rise from this week / Credit: Pexels
“In the last Parliament, living standards were the worst on record and sky-high inflation was crushing working people’s finances,” commented Chancellor Rachel Reeves, explaining why the pay boosts are being introduced.
“Making work pay is good for workers, will strengthen businesses’ workforces, and will grow our economy for years to come.
“It’s a key milestone on my number one mission to get more money in people’s pockets as we deliver our Plan for Change.”
Not only that, but the minimum hourly wage for an apprentice is also set to be boosted later this year too, with an 18-year-old apprentice seeing their minimum hourly pay increase by 18% to £7.55 an hour.
As a result of these particular changes, a further four million workers also could benefit from the positive spill-over impacts of the rate increases.
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Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation
Emily Sergeant
The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.
Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.
The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport.
After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.
The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.
Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.
“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.
“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”
The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.
Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.
#UPDATE | A woman who was discovered in the River Mersey last year has been identified following an extensive investigation by officers in GMP’s Major Incident Team.
Thank you to those of you who have shared our appeals over the last year.
Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.
Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2021 
