JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dog owners in the Arlington area are being warned to be on alert after veterinarians have diagnosed half a dozen dogs with parvovirus in the last several weeks.

Veterinarians with the Fort Caroline Animal Clinic said they have treated six dogs for parvo in the past three weeks.

“That’s a significant amount. We haven’t seen that many cases clumped together in that short of a time frame in a very long time,” said Wendy Jureski, the clinic's business development manager.

She said the parvo outbreak has been concentrated in certain Arlington neighborhoods, including three patients from Justina Road.

“They’re located in this same vicinity in Arlington, which is between University and Townsend (boulevards) and Fort Caroline and Merrill (roads),” Jureski said.

Veterinarians said parvo is spread mainly through fecal matter, and symptoms include lethargy, lack of appetite and thirst, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Veterinarians said the illness can be deadly, but owners whose dogs are properly vaccinated don't need to worry.

They said the dogs who have been diagnosed so far were not vaccinated.

“For puppies, they usually have to have a series of at least three vaccines,” Jureski explained. “For adult dogs, you have it annually.”

Health experts said that there is a huge difference between preventing the virus and treating it, especially financially. It can cost up to $800 to treat parvo, but it costs only $25 to get the vaccine.