From:
sukie crandall
Date: 2005-07-21 13:14:15 UTC
Subject: some ADV stuff
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <ACF82EEC-2E71-420F-A9D7-E31CF5FE7E59@optonline.net>
Subject: ADV/AD/Aleutian Disease/hypergammaglobulinemia
Date: July 20, 2005 4:04:28 PM EDT
To make comparisons a person needs rates from testing and that data
is missing. Just because a disease is discussed more frequently does
not mean that the disease itself is more common. We all know where
that assumption led in relation to NZ kits imported to the U.S. with
the assumption that they would be fine when actually a sadly high
number of them had ADV. (BTW, see page 10 in http://
www.biosecurity.govt.nz/publications/surveillance/
surveillance-29-4.pdf )
There are a number of things ADV is mistaken for (incorrect diagnoses
when pathology testing is not done). Here are a few:
estogen-induces anemia, lymphosarcoma, eosinophilic gastroenteritis,
peptic ulcers, proliferative bowel disease, salmonellosis
(table on page 365) This does not include the neuro ones and
insulinoma that are mistakenly diagnosed for when it show with only
neuro symptoms -- talked about elsewhere in _Biology and Diseases of
the Ferret, 2nd ed._ where there is discussion of ferrets with
unilateral weakness or unilateral paralysis, hind end weakness or
paralysis, muscular atrophy, etc.
I have a vague recollection that researchers did look into the parvo
shot approach many years ago without successful results, but I have
misplaced the document so let's use a boulder of salt until more is
known, because both recollections that can't be checked, and
speculations about things that seem likely to have already been
tested are things that call for some skepticism until more is known.
There have already been a series of medical problems which were
thought to be more common in this or that part of the world which
turned out not to be anywhere near as regional as thought -- in some
cases being virtually the same. The impressions were based upon
things like not looking for the diseases, not doing pathology, simply
assuming that a different area has more of a given disease due it
being discussed often, and even using different names for a given
disease.
Speaking of that, I am trying to recall what the OTHER NAME that is
used for ADV in Britain is. I recall someone who was trying to
present her vet with info on ADV for the vet's files and the vet was
insisting something like "We don't have that here." but then she used
the common term and the vet said something along the general lines of
(and this is a paraphrase) "Oh, that's the same as ADV? Yes, that is
here." Ah, yes. Also see "hypergammaglobulinemia of ferrets".
Hypergammglobulinemia is often used INSTEAD OF ADV/AD/Aleutians
Disease in European discussions I have noticed in some of the
resources found below.
BTW, although raccoons are procyonids rather than mustelids I gather
than ADV has been documented in them, and also in skunks.
Personally, I disagree with some saying that testing is not needed
(and with several other things I have spotted). Without testing a
ferret who may have ADV may not only be shown around and potentially
spread it if that happens during a time of virus shedding, but how
some symptoms are approached is changed if ADV is known to be
present. Also, there MIGHT be data out there (like whether any of
the existing vax might make a difference -- though I doubt that at
this stage) but without rate numbers -- which don't really exist for
most areas -- there is no way to assess any data. What a person is
left with is the impression (and nothing more) that in places where
the disease is more discussed that it may be more common, but
honestly, that is pretty well worthless. Gotta test in places being
compared to have the rate numbers!
Some sites I have run into (I am only skimming so assess on your own,
but for those posing questions I think these could well be useful.
DO notice that when you compare the researchers' and vets' posts from
an assortment of countries it is widely agreed that due to the mink
farming industry ADV is widely spread throughout much of the world,
including in wild populations of mustelids, and that these
researchers do NOT sound like they consider it to be more of a U.S.
problem.):
http://www.biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de/Ethologie/abstracts/
musteliden_kolloquium.htm (about 1/3 of the way down and then maybe
about 5/8th of the way down when scrolling)
http://www1.btwebworld.com/beechhouse/aleutiandisease.htm
http://www.wessexferretclub.co.uk/aleutian%20d..htm
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/aleutian01.htm
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=483&S=1&SourceID=43
or
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=PRINT&A=483
http://www.heidihoefer.com/pages/ferrets/aleutian_disease_ferret.htm
http://www.cah.com/dr_library/ferrets.html
http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://
www.miamiferret.org/fhc/aleutian.htm
http://www.mkaresq.com/WhiteRussian.htm
http://www.afip.org/vetpath/POLA/99/Pathology_of_the_Ferret-
Williams.htm (a little past half way down)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10852410&dopt=Abstract
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/adv.html
http://www.vfu.cz/acta-vet/vol70/pdf/70_297.pdf
http://ocw.tufts.edu/courses/5/content/215909
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/publications/surveillance/
surveillance-29-4.pdf (page 10)
http://ferretadv.com/
I KNOW I AM MISSING FINDING SOME but my damaged eye is wearing out.
(Hey, it's improving, though. I can actually sort of skim now for
while though the lateral part of the eye is still foggy.)
A good place to ask your questions may be:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/advferret/
Like Danee says: if you don't test then you don't know. I hope she
will be back soon. She's someone who may offhand know your answer
for you.
-- Sukie (not a vet)
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