From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2009-05-15 18:19:55 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret FIP question
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
It is important to remember that many (all?) of the leading researchers
into this disease consider the FIP-like illness to be either a FORM or a
PRESENTATION of ECE.
Yes, it behaves like FIP, a DIFFERENT coronavirus, behaves in cats, BUT
it is known from genetic work (See the separate FHL Archives or Pubmed.)
that it is a mutant from ECE.
If a mutant is different enough then it is a separate illness. This one
might not be a separate illness, so it's being considered as a different
type of ECE instead of as a separate illness.
One thing that is NOT known is IF it spreads AS ITSELF -- if it is
contagious and if so then how contagious and by which mechanisms--
(fecal-oral exposure, for example) because it isn't like the usual ECE
where all of the unexposed ferrets in a household will show the FIP-like
symptoms. Typically, it is showing up in just one. So, this form of
ECE
with FIP-like symptoms MIGHT be contagious AS ITSELF, but maybe not.
Another possibility is that this mutation is not a hard one to have
result.
In that case ECE could be in any unexposed ferrets (and remember here
that kits do NOT always show symptoms of ECE) and in some individuals
a vulnerable section of the coronavirus' DNA alters in a rather
predictable
fashion. (That there are loci and segment vulnerabilities for
predictable
alterations has been postulated for some time -- I recall discussions on
that with Dr. Brett Middleton whose genetics posts on things like neural
crest variants in the separate FHL Archives and the Ferret-Genetics
archives are so useful, as well as with others back before any research
existed. Recent work shows that particular DNA location hypothesis
(postulation) to be very well demonstrated.) So, the kits might
actually
have standard ECE (again, which is not symptomatic in all kits) but in
some it mutates in a predictable fashion and then can cause the FIP-
like symptoms. IN THAT CASE THE ORIGINAL ECE IS CONTAGIOUS,
but some individuals wind up having it mutate inside them to the worse
form.
Regular ECE is contagious for some time after symptoms end. The
ferrets can still shed the virus, perhaps for as long as 8 months
afterward,
so what we did when we had ECE in our household is we did not have
any ferrets or ferret people here for a year and we did not interact
ourselves
with any other ferrets for a year. In fact, we didn't even go into
pet stores
for a year, but bought supplies by mail. We wanted to protect others.
At this point there is still a great deal more to learn about this
coronavirus
and too few had their material tested with the materials studied in
one of
the few labs which can do this type of coronavirus work rather than a
general test for any exposure to any form of coronavirus -- or much more
often NO relevant enough testing at all to be diagnostic, so there are
those out there who may be dealing with other things including
Aleutian Disease
who think they are coping with this type of ECE and really should test
for
both in the right ways. The contagious period of Aleutian Disease is
longer
than that for the more fully studied original ECE.
See these:
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/ECE/ECE.html
http://www.vetpathology.org/cgi/content/full/45/2/236
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16499943
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10953717
http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/babyfood.html
We personally found a/d food to be useful for some but not all because
ECE in any form can sometimes make digestion of fats/oils/lipids
too difficult due to the degree of damage it can cause in the small
intestine, so for some the baby food was fat more gentle and
effective during ECE due to lower amounts of fats.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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