Regarding my release of the medical alert, maybe I was a bit hasty.
Apparently it is still a problem. I don't know what to think,
everyone's telling me something different....
At this point, I think we can say that there is a medical alert,
but it's not at epidemic proportions.
I got this in the mail today. (Ann, I hope you don't mind me posting
this? -- all the GEnie stuff was posted to a public forum, so I doubt
anyone will mind me putting it here): (note: this is rather long)
--- begin inserted text ---
From: Ann Davis <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Mystery virus
The medical alert is FAR FROM OVER. I now have this
stuff at my house and I have not had my ferrets out-
and no ferrets have been in since the LAFF show in
January. WE ARE THE CARRIERS!!!
I don't see how it could be otherwise.
Pam G. lost another ferret to it last night and took it
to Bruce W. - Dept of Pathology -Walter Reid- He
said his preliminary tests showed it to be either a
"roto" virus or a "corona" virus. It is un-killable...
it must just run its course. Amoxi or better yet
Chloromycetin Palmitate fight off the secondary
infections which seem to be anything from pneumonia to
hepatitis! You just have to keep your ferret alive
long enough and the green starts to change to brownish
yellow with curd looking stuff- Pam says that is an
indication that it is getting better.
Bruce says this stuff is highly contagious!!! and
extremely virulent!!! He is sending samples to another
lab that specializes in virus identification. So far I
have nothing in writing. Bruce is working on the newest
victim and has promised to fax me and Pam something
official no later than friday. Will keep you posted.
Here is the latest stuff from GEnie. Read on.
Ann
Category 5, Topic 5
Message 295 Sun Apr 04, 1993
A.GRUDEN [Ann] at 09:15 EDT
Pam -
I spoke with John A.(in NC) late Friday night. The
biopsy of one of the first <RETURN>, <S>croll, <Q>uit
?s
ferrets he lost indicated it was a rod-shaped bacteria.
He expected to have the bacteria id'd by Sat. AM - but
we were out of town until very late last night and I
did not get the chance to talk with him (will try
today). He lost another ferret to it Thursday and that
one is also being autopsied - but final results won't
be available until early next week.
All the ferrets in his colony are being dosed with the
cholorpalm (sp?) - and three that seemed "in the woods"
have been upgraded to "the shrubs" according to him -
no yellowing was seen as a symptom.
In his group, the ones that showed symptoms were in the
same 2 or 3 cages - leading him to originally suspect
bacterial rather than viral (i.e., bacterial requires
direct contact in some way - viral is "hardier" and can
be airborne).
His suspicion is the same as yours - that it may be
stress-related. Seems in his group it is the older
ferrets.
Will post additional info as I receive it.
Ann
------------
Category 5, Topic 5
Message 296 Sun Apr 04, 1993
G.BAILEY11 [DRAGON RUN] at 18:48 EDT
Pam, Cindy, Ann and Everyone else,
The mystery virus has now made an appearance in
Northern Va., S.E. Va., Delaware, S.E. N. Carolina
and central N. Carolina. The only things known at this
point are: weight loss (preceds diarrhea) diarrhea,
anorexia, sub normal body temp.. Most ferrets are also
showing signs of liver problems (pale or yellow fatty
livers with increase in liver enzymes) low blood
protien. Various antibiotics are being used, Amoxi,
Clavamox, Keflex, Chloromycetin Palmitate
(Chloramphenicol), Vistrol etc. Please note that they
are having no effect on the basic problem only helpoing
in warding off bacterial
infections that might move in on an animal that has
its immune system already compromised.
I have lost two and have had 3 others with a light
case they just threw off in a couple of days. The two
who died were 9 mos. and 7 yrs the others were 10
mos., 4 yrs., 2 yrs. and I have a 4 yr old who is
recovering and a 5 yr. old looking like he's coming
down with it. Pam, Cannonball was not ill when she was
sent to you. She spent less than 24 hrs. at the
Johnson's. At that time the Johnson's had no cases of
this at all. Their go round did not begin until March.
Beverly V. of Norfolk has had 12 with it, 1 died, 1 is
still border- line, Gina lost two big healthy 2yr old
males last weekend. The last 3 mentioned have been
cultered and showed E-Coli. John A. has also lost some
and has also had E-Coli show up. My two that died had
apparently normal livers, the 9 mo. old only showed
signs of gastritis and the intestinal tract was
completely normal as was the
7 yr. olds.
I do not go to all the shows, was not at the N.J. show
neither was Gina or Beverly, nor has Beverly ever
brought a ferret to a show in her life. We all were at
the LAFF show in Jan. sans ferrets. In my own opinion
it is pointless and a complete waste of time at this
point to speculate on who is infecting who. For all we
know it could be infected food (E-Coli) or the german
ferrets that have come into this country over the last
several months or so could have brought a virus in
that the European ferrets are immune to and our
American ferrets are not. The important thing is to
find out what this is and how to treat it.
So far it is only aggressive support therapy that
is pulling these animals through. Here I am doing sub
Q fluids (30cc 3 times a day), Amoxi, and force
feeding every two hours (Sustecal, Nutrical, baby food
and Pet tinic). Please note that I have 30 ferrets,
including some very elderly and kits and I have only
had 2 deaths
which might be attributed to this and 4 that have had
it and recovered. That doesn't exactly make us a hot
bed of infection down
here.
This illness appears to be very random on who it's
hitting. Big healthy males go down as quickly as small
jills. Diarrhea is NOT the first symptom. Loss of
condition is first followed by diarrhea and total loss
of appetite. Do not panic but closely watch your
ferrets for any deviation of normal patterns (play,
appetite etc.) Those of you who do have this and are
on broad spectrum antibiotics please remember to give
your ferret a little yougurt every day to help
replenish healthy intestinal bacteria that the
antibiotics are wiping out.
If you have any further questions/comments please feel
free to call me at 804-887-5688.
Georgia
P.S. A heating pad or hot water bottle helps to
maintain their body temp.
------------
Category 5, Topic 5
Message 297 Sun Apr 04, 1993
P.GRANT6 [Pam/Pet Pals] at 21:41 EDT
Well, I lost the second ferret to this "virus" thing.
she will be posted tomorrow in another attempt to learn
WHAT is going on. Agnes has been in the house 2 weeks,
her companion, an eight year old sprite with adrenal
problems , has not been affected. They are both
Marshall Farms ferrets. Scooter, my first to pass
away, was also from Marshall Farms. Pete Koch in NJ
has lost one of his German jills to this thing, and my
males both had a bout of the runs. Back to Agnes -
she never had green stool, it just suddenly ran liquid
brown and she was totally dehydrated. she stopped
eating and that was all she wrote.
John Armshaw has not brought ferrets to a show since
his own in Nov of 92. Yet he has the killer plague, or
some strain, too. My friend in Burke has not brought
her ferrets to my house or have mine gone to hers, yet
she now seems to have the virus as well in her group of
ferrets. Whatever this thing is, it is being
transferred by the people, and could have been
incubating until warmer weather (for all we know). I
agree, no sense in wasting time in trying to figure out
where it started, but we do need to determine how it is
being passed. With a show scheduled in less than a
week and another two weeks later and another scheduled
3 weeks later, we have to find a cure, an antidote, or
the cause. It seems that everyone in my house had the
runs, but most cleared up in three days. Everyone new
to my house (adoptees, ferret sitting, breeders) come
down with a case of runs in about three days. I have it
"under control" with Amoxi, but how can I kill whatever
it is so I don't have to buy stock in pennicillin?
Will this thing just die out or am I stuck with it for
several more months or forever? With the moving
season approaching (Summertime), the adoptees will
start coming in. I am just posting this "drama"
because those who are not affected may want to think
carefully about washing your clothes and bodies after
visiting ferret shows or friend's homes with possibly
infected ferrets. There have been enough cases where
ferrets have not come in contact recently with each
other, and yet the "virus" has reached out and struck
someone. We need to be careful and attentive. This
thing is not a killer unless we are not paying
attention. On the upswing - Virginia Fincham has had
a few of her ferrets in and out of my house and she is
not having any problems and she even has kits galore in
her home. so what gives?
------------
Category 5, Topic 5
Message 298 Mon Apr 05, 1993
C.SOOY [Jim & Cindy] at 01:39 EDT
Pam, Ann and Georgia,
Thanks for keeping us posted on this virus. Does this
bug seem to be viral in origin with bacteria causing a
secondary infection? I have the urge to lock my ferrets
up until this thing passes but it doesn't seem like
that would guarantee anything. I haven't had any
problems and I've had a litter of kits that was born in
Jan. and I just had an elderly shelter ferret who had
an adrenalectomy and two tumors removed from her
pancreas about three weeks ago. Plus I've been to most
of the shows. There does not seem to be much rhyme or
reason as to how this thing is being passed.
My condolences to all who have lost ferrets to this
disease. Having been through the distemper outbreak
last summer, I really sympathize with you all. Please
keep us updated on any biopsy results.
Cindy
------------
Category 5, Topic 5
Message 299 Mon Apr 05, 1993
G.BAILEY11 [DRAGON RUN] at 07:57 EDT
Cindy,
Right now this does seem to be viral, with
secondary bacterial infections. Because there is no
rhyme or reason to this thing, at the next few shows
make sure the judge/ring steward disinfects the table
and their hands (to the elbow) before you hand over
your ferret. I would be very reluctant to let anyone
else at the show
handle my animals, just to be on the safe side. I'm
beginning to think that we (humans) might be the
possible vector but I don't know. Normally an illness
would take the old, young and infirm first, this virus
is very democratic and those are not the first ones. I
also have kits and while I did lose a 6 wk old last
week, he died from a congenital heart condition, not
this disease. I also have several very frail (well
willie & nando did die but not from this) but they
haven't been bothered. What we really need are good
baseline normals for ferrets from healthy normal
ferrets (Fox's book is based on Marshall Farms ferrets
and we all know how normal they are!) also the vets
need to network more, share info, write papers etc.
There are over 8 mil. ferrets and we know damn little
about them physically. Think about it, almost
everytime you go to the vet with a sick critter it's a
crap shoot weither or not you'll actually find a cause
for the illness. Necropsy are the same way. We need
education badly, I'm tired of watching my fuzzies die
and hardly ever being able to find a cause. I also have
a beef about lack of pain medication for these guys
after surgery, but I'll save that for next weekend
(there is one we can use). I'll get off my soap box
now, have to get ready to go to the vet (again!).
Everyone have a good and peaceful week
and I'll see you all next weekend.
Georgia
--- end inserted text ---
I hope this clears all the questions up.
Question to GEnie people -- Who in Delaware??? I know it's not Cindy's
ferrets, so who else goes to shows?
- Nancy
Nancy Hartman CIS graduate student
[log in to unmask] U. of Delaware
President and founder, Delaware Valley Ferret Club
Owner of Percy, Bree, & Popcorn, the ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 0448]
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