>They say that some ferrets that test positive for ADV antibodies may
>never come down with the full spectrum 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
>eventually come down with the disease?
 
Dear Rebecca:
 
There are certainly a number of ferrets that will test positive for the
disease (running the CIEP test, which measures antibodies to ADV in a
ferret's blood.)  The presence of antibodies shows only that the animal
has been exposed to the disease and is mounting a response.
 
The problem with AD is that the disease itself is largely a result of the
OVERPRODUCTION of antibodies against the virus.  These antibody-antigen
complexes precipitate out in the blood vessels around the body, causing
disease and ultimately death.
 
There is a percentage of animals that will be in contact with the virus,
mount an antibody response, and in doing so, clear themselves of disease.
But especially early on, it is impossible to tell whose response will be
appropriate and stop, and whose will go into overdrive and result in
clinical AD.  This is why we always retest antibody-positive animals 6
months later (and often again after that.)
 
With kindest regards,
 
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3192]