From:
Steve Austin
Date: 2002-07-16 02:43:38 UTC
Subject: wild mink and ADV (NE US)?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20020715.224547.1200.17.kazpat1@juno.com>
Wasn't the original ADV in ferrets the mink one from
farms that kept both animals? I think the mink ADV
didn't make ferrets ill, but could infect them and
in turn the ferrets could infect the mink, I believe
it is the same with the raccoons, at least for now,
until it mutates. Then it could become a strain
that is specific for the animal it is infecting
and cause disease like the ADV-F specific for
our ferrets. I think there is a real possible problem
with ADV in wild weasels, otters, polecats, and mink already,
not because of ferrets though. However, as the strains
change and become species specific, they will
become a problem and the damage is being done
already. Not just in the US, but the American Mink has
graced Spain, England and I am sure other countries
with ADV. Ferrets may be able to do this if they are
imported to other countries and not tested for ADV,
breeders are going to be the big place the virus will
spread through.
What is known now is that there are several strains of
ADV that infects mink, the ADV-Utah is the one
strain that infects mink, raccoons, skunks and river
otters to varying degrees. ADV-G is the one that doesn't
cause disease. In the link I sent it was a new isolate named
ADV-TR ( interesting how fast this must mutate)
Another study infected a variety of animals and found that
Raccoons, Ferrets, Cats, dogs, and mice could potentially
harbor the disease for 4 weeks or longer and were a potential
resorvoir for the virus- spreading it back to minks.
These animals don't actually get the disease, just harbor
it and therefore, can spread it.
Rabbits and foxes were not a risk for transmission.
One study in Japan stated that there were 2 cases of ADV in
2 ferrets and that the DNA was slightly different from
the Ferret ADV strain in America, maybe a new
mutation of only 1 nucleotide change.
BTW this is not so different than many viral diseases,
I know HIV has HIV-1, HIV-2 and many many subclasses
of each.
O.K., I find this very interesting, but probably boring most
everyone.
Patty
PS. Here is the site where you can put in any subject you
are interested in doing research on and see what articles
it finds for you:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
> So, mild or silent infections that were confirmed by antibody
> testing?
>
> I wonder if and for how long they might be able to shed the virus.
> If that isn't a problem then it's quite different than if they can.
>
> We have a number of raccoons, skunks, weasels, mink, and even some
> otters and other mustelids -- like the (extremely) rare martin or
> fisher passing through -- now and then around here. I sure would
> not want to see ADV in the wild around here as well as in some
> domestic ferrets. Infection spread from a positive ferret is yet
> one more hazard when ignorant people turn loose pet ferrets instead
> of finding shelters, and a wild reservoir would be not only bad for
> those animals but also for other domestic ferrets.
>
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