From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2006-12-19 01:59:17 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Major find/Question-unknown illness!?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
It varies among individuals. Not all have green, explosive poop. Even the first isolator of
ECE, Dr. Bruce Williams, has pointed that out in past posts.
ECE is one of the diseases which can leave a ferret with life-long IBD.
Here are some basics. Notice that kibble given during ECE makes the feces more likely to
be yellow. Notice also that the waste can be a whole range of coloration, not just green.
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/ECE/ECE.html
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG1245
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG284
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG13196
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG12815
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG12391
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG12071
To see how far we've come in a few years: when
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG2626
appeared in 2001 notice
BEGIN QUOTE
Technically, this virus has yet to be isolated - it has proven a
difficult virus to grow in the lab. However, the proof of it as the
agent in ECE was based on the caracteristic lesion of a coronavirus
infection in affected animals, visualization of the virus on both
transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and the presence of
coronaviral antigen in the mucosal epithelium as identified by
specific immunohistochemical staining.
END QUOTE
Now look just 5 years later at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
BEGIN QUOTE
A novel coronavirus, designated as ferret enteric coronavirus (FECV), was identified in
feces of domestic ferrets clinically diagnosed with epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE).
Initially, partial sequences of the polymerase, spike, membrane protein, and nucleocapsid
genes were generated using coronavirus consensus PCR assays. Subsequently, the
complete sequences of the nucleocapsid gene and the last two open reading frames at the
3' terminus of the FECV genome were obtained. Phylogenetic analyses based on predicted
partial amino acid sequences of the polymerase, spike, and membrane proteins, and full
sequence of the nucleocapsid protein showed that FECV is genetically most closely related
to group 1 coronaviruses. FECV is more similar to feline coronavirus, porcine transmissible
gastroenteritis virus, and canine coronavirus than to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and
human coronavirus 229E. Molecular data presented in this study provide the first genetic
evidence for a new coronavirus associated with clinical cases of ECE.
END QUOTE
BTW, if frank blood (red blood) appears that can be form colitis secondary to ECE or other
illness but is more commonly seen with coccidia during blooms, and with some other
things like injuries.
Coronaviruses are known for NOT mutating readily. You will find that in numerous past
references.
There is ALREADY a coronavirus which fits what you are encountering and that is ECE, but
since there was coccidia once found (though sometimes it can be confused with yeast)
there could be that or a double whammy.
Yes, ECE is a horrible thing to have a household of ferrets go through. Your description
sounds very familiar to me even after all of these years and brings back terrible memories.
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