Viruses are microscopic organisms that invade a body and cause illness. A small child might call them germs. So, what makes a viral germ different from other types of germs? Viral germs, once inside the host body, cannot be killed. They can be contained, controlled or rendered inactive, but they can't be killed. Which means that the best 'treatment' for a virus is prevention. Whenever possible, have your pet vaccinated against illness and when its not possible, take whatever precautions you can to prevent transmission.
Canine distemper virus (a.k.a. CDV) is a deadly virus that can be prevented by annual vaccinations (see annual vaccinations ). This virus is very contagious and can be spread through the air or by contact . It can come into your house through your windows and on your clothes and shoes. Symptoms of distemper infection include eye discharge, rash on torso and face, hardened paw pads, diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy. These symptoms eventually give way to seizures and coma and euthanasia is recommended to relieve suffering.
The following information about ADV is a post that was made by a respected ferret owner who is very knowledgeable about ADV on the largest ferret-related email group known as the Ferret Mailing List. Danee DeVore was gracious enough to allow us to copy her well-written post here on our website. You can find out more about the FML in our Links section.
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2003 18:04:17 -0400
From: Danee DeVore <DaneeDV@AOL.COM>
Subject: ADV - some answers and some references
James (James.Stines@TDINDUSTRIES.COM) wrote
>Can someone explain what ADV is and why it is important to be tested for?
I am sure this will probably get long, so I apologize in advance.
On the surface, ADV can best be explained by comparing it to HIV and AIDS in humans. ADV is not AIDS, and is not even in the same class of viruses. But, there are some similarities, and most people are familiar with AIDS.
ADV, or Aleutian Disease Virus, is a parvo virus that originally affected only mink. It is names for the Aleutian mink (the light colored mink) because it was first noted to affect them, and is more deadly to Aleutian mink then it is to dark colored mink. ADV can now be caught and carried by a number of members of the weasel family, including ferrets.
Like AIDS, ADV is a virus that is transmitted primarily through bodily fluids, and it causes an auto immune response in the animals that catch it. Also, like AIDS, the ferret can be infected with ADV, and be spreading it, but can show no symptoms. This is one reason it is good to test your ferrets and know their ADV status - so you don't unknowingly infect other ferrets. However, there are other reasons for testing that are equally important.
Ferrets with ADV can require special considerations when receiving medical care. Unlike AIDS, instead of suppressing the immune system, ADV actually causes the immune system to go into overdrive. The immune system produces large numbers of gammaglobulins (a protein in the blood) that are ineffective at fighting the virus. It is rarely the virus itself that kills the ferret - it is the overproduction of gammaglobulins. These proteins form a plaque that deposits in the organs and along the blood vessel walls, weakening the areas where they deposit. Any of the major organs can be affected by the deposits, but the liver, kidneys and lungs are 3 of the most common ones.
The symptoms of ADV are varied, and may mimmic other ferret diseases. The most common symptoms are lethargy, unexplained weight loss and hind end paralysis. Sometimes, although not always, there is also a cough present. However, a ferret can have and be spreading ADV and show no symptoms at all. Other complications that can result from ADV are loss of clotting factors in the blood (which can make any surgeries risky), and vascular degeneration, which can result in the ferret bleeding out.
Currently, there are 3 test that are commercially available that test for the presence of ADV antibodies. The first is the CEP (or CIEP) test done by United Vaccines. The cost per test (United's charge) is $10.00, and it requires a small amount of blood or blood serum to run the test. The amount of blood required can easily be collected by clipping a claw short, but many people prefer to have their vets draw the blood sample and send it in for them. The vet will, of course charge for his services and the shipping costs as well as what United charges. This test is considered by most to be very reliable, and has been used by mink farmers for many years.
The other 2 tests are offered by Avecon Diagnostics. These tests are fairly new, and there have been some problems with them. However, when done properly, I think they are fairly reliable. The ELISA test requires that a sample be sent to the Avecon lab for testing. The instructions say it can be run on either saliva or blood, but I recommend using saliva. Most of the problems that have occurred have been when blood was used as
the testing sample. The second Avecon test is the POCT or Quicktest, and, like a home pregnancy test, can be run by you at home. Again, it requires a small saliva sample. More information on the Avecon tests can be found at the Avecon website, at the following URL: http://www.avecon.com/advabelisa.html
Currently, there are no commercially available tests that test for the actual presence of the virus (the antigen). The U of GA is currently doing research on ADV, and they will run PCR tests on blood, urine and saliva samples sent to them. The PCR test checks for the viral DNA, and will tell you whether or not the virus is present in the ferrets bodily
fluids. However, this test, while accurate, is not a good diagnostic tool. For much of the time, the actual virus is not in the fluids, but in the organs. So, a negative PCR test does not necessarily mean the ferret does not have ADV, just that it is not in a contagious period of the disease.
People that want to send blood serum samples to the U of GA for testing should the tubes with ice packs and ship overnight to the following address:
Kate Pennick, Research Tech III
Dept. of Pathology -- Room 148
UGA College of Vet Med
Athens, GA 30602-7388
I do not recommend using this as a first line of testing. Kate runs the tests as time allows, and it may take several weeks to get the results. Since they are not doing this commercially, but as research, there is no time table for when tests are run. However, many people like to use them as a follow-up to a positive test result by one of the commercial testing methods. In addition to the PCR test, they run a CIEP test with
titers, which will tell you the concentration of ADV antibodies in the blood.
I usually prefer to point people to websites and articles on ADV, rather then trying to explain it all myself. That way, people can read as much or as little as they like. For that reason, the remainder of this post will be about where you can find more information on ADV.
I would suggest that if you want to learn more about ADV, there are several websites with good information. There is also a Yahoo Group for people interested in learning about ADV and for working on ways of educating the public about its dangers. In addition to the messages, it has a links section with good links and a files section .
The ADVList on Yahoo Groups info:
Post message: advferret@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe: advferret-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: advferret-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: advferret-owner@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advferret/
This site also has an excellent files section with information.
Here are some other resources I can recommend.
Wolfy's ADV Straight Up web page - good basic info to start with:
A page with an article by the head of the Harlan Labs (UK) testing division:
There are some points in this article that are not well presented (like his citing 'the Internet' as a source of data) but overall, it is a good article, and explains how the disease affects the ferret in terms that most can understand.
White Russian's Story - this site tells White Russian's heartbreaking story. There is also a link to donate to ADV research on this page.
Ferret Haven By the Sea's website has some info on ADV, too. They have the United Vaccine's guidelines for ADV testing on their site.
Ferrets magazine has also run several articles on ADV. The most recent one was in the March/April 2003 edition, and was an excellent article.
If anyone has any additional questions, feel free to write to me personally if you want. I do not consider myself an expert on ADV, but I have been living with it now for 4 years.
--
Danee
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested,
you don't know!
ECE stands for Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis and is more commonly known in the ferret world as the Green Slime Disease. Scientifically, it is an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the intestines, but practically it means neon green, awful smelling poop and very, very sick ferrets . Ferrets with ECE are not absorbing food and water and become very dehydrated and lethargic in a very short time.
ECE is passed along through a virus and is highly contagious. There is no test or vaccine for ECE and it is diagnosed via symptoms. Those symptoms include the notable slimy green and foul-smelling diarrhea, dehydration, lethargy, vomiting, ulcers, and weight loss. The speed with which these symptoms present themselves is amazing and scary -- and the disease can persist anywhere from a few days to a few months. Prognosis for ferrets with ECE is better than it used to be, but the virus still claims many ferret lives every year.
Ferrets with ECE, particularly those who are older or have other illnesses, will require lots and lots of supportive care to get them through. Your veterinarian will prescribe medication to treat ulcers, inflammation and secondary infection, but only time and lots of TLC will help your ferret overcome ECE. Most ferrets will need sub-cutaneous fluids and a special bland diet that might include force-feeding (see force-feeding section ). You will also need to clean VERY diligently and often to get rid of the virus that spreads the disease. The virus is spread through any bodily fluids as well as through the air and through simple handling of an infected ferret.
