FERRET-SEARCH@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
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Date: | Thu, 28 Sep 2000 20:31:20 -0400 |
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>From: Rebecca Stout <[log in to unmask]>
>"They say that some ferrets that test positive for ADV antibodies may never
>come down with the full spectrum disease. I privately question this... did
>they not say this about AIDS all along? But if the person is alive long
>enough to contract the disease does not every person that tests for HIV
>eventually come down with full blown AIDS? I may be incorrect with this.
>Even if I am I feel certain that those cases would not be the majority."
You put this in quotes, so I'm not certain if you are quoting someone else
or yourself. In any event, I might be able to help answer the question.
There are certain people infected with HIV who are termed "Long Term
Non-Progressors" (LTNP), that is, they survive more than X years (I can't
remember offhand what the current requirement for X is) and don't develop
AIDS. And I think an additional requirement is that they have low viral
loads. I know of a certain case where a woman, infected by heterosexual
transmission and/or IV drug use is now 16 years post-infection and yet is
quite healthy. For most of these years she has refused anti-viral therapy,
and has carried a very high viral load in her blood, yet she is not
progressing to AIDS. Since she is not progressing and yet carries a high
viral load, they aren't quite sure how to categorize her (I'd call her
extremely fortunate!) - whether as a true LTNP or not. There are also
cases of sex workers in Africa who are repeatedly exposed and yet either
never seroconvert (become HIV+) or else they become positive but never
develop disease.
>For example if a ferret is exposed and then tests positively for ADV at
>say one year old or less.....if he were able to live for ten plus years...
>wouldn't he evennnntually come down with the disease?
Maybe, maybe not. I don't think we know enough about the disease in
ferrets to be able to make this statement. Vets on the list may know more.
Karen
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=============================================
Let me be a shadow in Your light
Just a small reflection of a greater love
Let me be a shadow in Your light
That falls on the lost and the lonely
-- Lenny LeBlanc
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No trees were harmed in the production of
this message. However, a rather large number
of electrons were somewhat inconvenienced.
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If you love ferrets, check out:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crassi/index.html
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[Posted in FML issue 3189]
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