Message Number: YG11088 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukieferret
Date: 2002-02-14 20:01:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Lymphoma

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "miamiferret" <mjanke@m...> wrote:
> I have heard this quite a few times myself. Also, in "Ferrets,
> Rabbits and Rodents - Clinical Medicine and Surgery," Dr.
Susan Brown
> says, in part, "Occasionally, siblings or several cohabiting
ferrets
> are involved. Preliminary transmission data suggest a viral
agent
> may be involved."


Yes, there was a study at MIT Dept of Comparative Medicine
which found indications that this is the case. We have had a
clump here ourselves. It extended over a few years, then
stopped. The two later ones who got it in early-old age and true
old age were housed with one who had earlier developed
juvenile lymphoma.

That is one thing we have been worried about since Meeteetse's
death but Meeteetse was elderly when she got her's so it may
have a completely different cause. That is our hope.

Finding silent viral triggers for later diseases often is one of
those things in which a researcher gets lucky , or a researcher
has a lot of money and time to give to the project. None of that
applied in this case and the project was finally halted.