From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-04-10 19:57:00 UTC
Subject: Re: ECE
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Edward Lipinski <elipinski@j...>
wrote:
>Perhaps you can understand why, to my mind's eye, I look upon ECE as
a
>virus with a jaundiced view. If an identified coronavirus, why is
there
>no test available to determine the presence of the infective agent
prior
>to the horrible symptoms typical of its presence? And yet another
>querry, why is there no effective preventative treatment after the
>enteritis is first observed?
The reason why there is no effective test prior to development of
symptoms is two-fold: a) the first symptom of ECE is its horrible
symtoms - 48 hours doesn't give you a lot of time. b) until a virus
can be grown, there is no possibility of a test. Coronaviruses are
notoriously difficult to grow - the coronavirus that causes feline
infectious peritonitis took almost ten years in one of the best labs
around.
Why is there no effective treatment? Because this is a viral
enteritis. There is no effective antiviral drugs in veterinary
medicine. We treat symptoms and sequelae. Pharmacologically, we
still can't directly treat viruses - they aren't susceptible to
antibiotics.
.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM