From:
williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2003-07-31 01:10:23 UTC
Subject: RE: Feline Herpes in Ferrets??
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <5565555.1059613823371.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Dear Dee:
I strongly doubt the veracity of this diagnosis. Ferrets are not known to contract feline herpesvirus. Almost every species has a herpesvirus, and many have more than one. They tend to be restricted to like species - probably ferrets have them, but they wouldn't share them with cats or vice versa.
When herpesvirus are able to cross species, the disease is usually catastrophic. Many herpesviruses move between monkeys and man - chickenpox in monkeys can be lethal, and the herpes B-virus which is often asymptomatic causes lethal encephalitis in humans. But humans and monkey are much more closely related than cats and ferrets.
Now sea otters have a herpesvirus that was atually discovered by the staff of the AFIP during the Exxon Valdez oil spill - that one might have a shot at infecting a ferret, but not a cat.
Bottom line - I don't think you have anything to worry about here.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
Author wrote:
> Someone I know was recently told by her vet that her ferret has Feline
> Herpes. She also was told it is not contagious to ferrets. Would someone please
> shed some light on this subject?