Dear Erika:
 
>BUT - I can't believe I don't know this, are my ferts safe?  Know from
>experience, unfortunately, about Parvo in dogs, and that the younger the
>more suseptable, etc.  But can the Parvo virus show up in ferts?
 
Canine parvovirus type 2 (the one that causes severe intestinal damage and
death in dogs) is not considerd communicable to ferrets.  While I have over
the years, seen cases in which the lesions in ferrets looked like this
particular parvovirus - I have never been able to prove it, nor has it even
been shown to be transmissible to ferrets.
 
I consider canine parvovirus type 2 to be a low risk for ferrets (I guess I
wouldn't say no risk).  Don't let your ferrets come in contact with feces
from infected dogs - but don't worry overly that your indoor ferrets will
be infected if you bring a stray virus or two inside from your
neighborhood.
 
Canine parvovirus type 2 is very different from the parvovirus that causes
Aleutian disease, (for those who are wondering.)  Although they are both
parvoviruses, the viruses are so distantly related that vaccination with
canine parvovirus is not preventative for ADV in ferrets (in case anyone
was thinking of asking!)
 
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
Chairman, AFIP Dept. of Telemedicine
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Washington, DC 20306-6000
(202) 782-2392
[Posted in FML issue 3232]