From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-10-20 04:25:00 UTC
Subject: quick encephalitis questions
--
Has encephalitis been seen in ferrets? The reason I ask is because
UC Davis' Vet Med vets, Melissa Miller and Patricia Conrad have
studied a sudden outbreak in otters and it traced back to two causes
that originate with domestic animals: Toxoplasma gondii (cats) and
Sarcocytis neurona (horses). (It looks like the first may also be
invading some seal populations and the second some oppossum ones.)
They have developed and validated a serological test for otters
should that be useful to know. Anyway, I was wondering if our
mustelids ever show such infections in case these parasites may share
with them as well when a cat or horse becomes infected. (Info is
from the Morris Animal Foundation.)