From:
MC
Date: 2002-08-18 01:36:39 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Quick question - ADV testing
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3D5EFA27.87A795FC@ProgressiveSystemsInc.org>
I reread my rather terse response to Russ, (Sorry Russ) and in a second reading..I really was echoing his response, just disagreeing on his wording.
Yes, Danee, you are correct..to a point...but..from my distant memory of immunology, once an antibody is produced by a body, it stays, whether or not the cause (virus) is still present. Is this not how immunization works? So, if my memory has not failed me, then the antibody would be present, no matter the presence or lack of presence of an active virus...it only indicates the host had been exposed to and had in its system, at one time, the cause of the production of antibodies.
Od course, I am not a vet or doctor....whadda I know!...I just know I have 1 ferret that tests positive and one ferret that is a 'no read' that I treat as positive, to ADV, and neither has ever been exposed to an ADV positive animal. Both are New Zealand ferrets. But..in any case, Bancho is now an 'it', and Tuzi is still whole, but will be spayed in the next year or two. And, no ferrets are allowed in my house, nor will I take in any more ferrets. ADV has really altered my life! Darn it!
MC
daneedv@aol.com wrote:
> Author wrote:
> > Nope..not true Russell! The AveCon test AND the United test, only test for the
> > presence of antibodies.
> > MC
> >
>
> MC - What Russell said is true, according to the Avecon website. While the Avecon tests are antibody tests, they are only supposed to test positive if the virus is replicating. They are testing for the presence of a specific protein in the antibodies that is only present if the virus is replicating. That is why we sometimes see false negatives with the Avecon tests. If the virus goes dorment and does not repelicate for a period, the antibodies will no longer contain that protein, and the test will show a negative result, even though the virus is still present.
> I have seen this with several of my ADV+ ferrets. They will sometimes test negative on Avecon tests, while samples taken at the same time and sent to United and/or U of GA will come back positive.
> Danee