From:
julie_fossa@yahoo.com
Date: 2003-09-28 14:37:44 UTC
Subject: RE: necropsy report - ADV?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <19859865.1064766954143.JavaMail.nobody@chromium.smartgroups.com>
Hi Pam,
A couple of things come to mind; If the family has other ferrets, I would start by testing the rest of the family's ferrets for ADV. If none of the others are positive, it does not mean the deceased ferret was negative, it just means if it was ADV, it hasn't spread at this point.
Other illnesses can mimic the symptoms of ADV. Since it isn't possible to get an ADV test on the deceased ferret at this point, they might pursue having the slides re-cut and sent out to look specifically for ADV lesions in the tissues.
As a final option, IF the ferret was ADV+ and WAS shedding the virus, swabs taken from areas that the ferret eliminated, flooring, cage areas, etc., can be sent to the Univeristy of Georgia, I believe, to be checked for virus. A negative finding on these samples would not mean the ferret was negative, only that he was not shedding the virus, but it would serve two purposes. If it is negative for virus, they can be fairly comfortable their other ferrets are not exposed, and secondly, it it is positive for ADV virus, they could clean and disinfect with a bleach solution to eliminate it, to protect the rest of their ferrets, or any they may want to get in the future.
This is just one more reason testing all your ferrets periodically and at the onset of illness as a rule-out is so important.
Julie