Wildlife, Marine, and Zoo Animals
Vet Pathol 45:236-246 (2008)

Clinicopathologic Features of a Systemic Coronavirus-Associated
Disease Resembling Feline Infectious Peritonitis in the Domestic
Ferret (Mustela putorius)

M. M. GARNER, K. RAMSELL, N. MORERA, C. JUAN-SALLE'S, J. JIMENEZ, M.
ARDIACA, A. MONTESINOS, J. P. TEIFKE, C. V. LOHR, J. F. EVERMANN, T.
V. BASZLER, R. W. NORDHAUSEN, A. G. WISE, R. K. MAES, AND M. KIUPEL

Northwest ZooPath, Monroe, WA (MMG); Southwest Animal Hospital,
Beaverton, OR (KR); ConZOOlting Wildlife Management, Samalus, Spain
(CJS); Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Pullman, WA
(JFE, TVB); Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for
Animal Health, Isle of Riems, Germany (JPT); Department of Biomedical
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University,
Corvallis, OR (CVL); California Animal Heath and Food Safety
Laboratory, Davis, CA (RWN); and Diagnostic Center for Population
and Animal Health, Lansing, MI (AGW, RKM, MK)

Abstract. From 2002 to 2007, 23 ferrets from Europe and the United
States were diagnosed with systemic pyogranulomatous inflammation
resembling feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The average age at the
time of diagnosis was 11 months. The disease was progressive in all
cases, and average duration of clinical illness was 67 days. Common
clinical findings were anorexia, weight loss, diarrhea, and large,
palpable intra-abdominal masses; less frequent findings included hind
limb paresis, central nervous system signs, vomiting, and dyspnea.
Frequent hematologic findings were mild anemia, thrombocyto- penia, and
hypergammaglobulinemia. Grossly, whitish nodules were found in numerous
tissues, most frequently the mesenteric adipose tissue and lymph nodes,
visceral peritoneum, liver, kidneys, spleen, and lungs. One ferret
had a serous abdominal effusion. Microscopically, pyogranulomatous
inflammation involved especially the visceral peritoneum, mesenteric
adipose tissue, liver, lungs, kidneys, lymph nodes, spleen, pancreas,
adrenal glands, and/or blood vessels. Immunohistochemically, all
cases were positive for coronavirus antigen using monoclonal antibody
FIPV3-70. Electron microscopic examination of inflammatory lesions
identified particles with coronavirus morphology in the cytoplasm of
macrophages. Partial sequencing of the coronavirus spike gene obtained
from frozen tissue indicates that the virus is related to ferret
enteric coronavirus.

Key words: Coronavirus; feline infectious peritonitis; ferrets;
immunohistochemistry; PCR.

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/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5949]