First, I want to say that permission to crosspost this, as well as part
one, is granted as long as the post is reposted in its entirety.
 
Now, for anyone new to this list and/or to ferrets, I will give a brief
description of what ADV is, and how testing can be done.  I know there
are always new people joining, and I appreciate that not everyone has
heard of ADV.  However, toward the end of this I will be including some
new information, so you old-timers who are interested might want to just
scroll through the fist 3/4 or so, and then start reading.
 
Also, I may over simplify some of the concepts presented, so that more
people will be able to understand them.  In doing so, I may not use the
correct technical terminology.  My apologies to those of you with the
technical background to spot these over simplifications.
 
ADV, or Aleutian Disease is a virus that causes an immune mediated
reaction in the ferrets it infects.  It was first noticed and described
as a mink disease, but for over 50 years it has been known it can also
infect ferrets.  The disease was named for the Aleutian mink, which is
the light colored one.  The Aleutian mink have a genetic defect that
affects the immune system, and they are the animal most affected by ADV.
However, dark mink and ferrets can also fall victim.
 
ADV is a member of the parvo virus family, and so it is a very hardy
virus.  It has been shown that the virus can live outside a host body
for over 2 years.  To kill the virus you need a special disinfectant
called a parvocide.  Fortunately, these can be easily obtained from
veterinary supply retailers, like Jeffers Pet and Revival Animal Health.
 
While ADV is in the same family as the canine parvo virus, the feline
parvo virus (feline panleukopenia), and the human parvo virus (Fifth's
Disease), it does not act on the body in the same way as other viruses.
At this time, there is no reason to believe that dogs, cats or humans can
contract ADV.  The primary animals that are affected by ADV are mink,
ferrets, and recently, domestic skunks
 
The way ADV affects the ferrets body is different from other viruses like
influenza.  Most of the time, when a body is exposed to a virus, the body
begins to make to make antibodies to fight off the virus.  If the body is
completely successful, then it does not get sick.  More often, though,
the body does suffer some ill effects, until the antibodies are able to
defeat the virus.
 
With ADV, the body does begin production of antibodies, but the
antibodies are what are called non neutralizing antibodies - they do
not have any effect on the virus.  As a result, the virus remains in
the body, and the cycle of producing antibodies and releasing them into
the bloodstream continues.  Over time, the antibodies will combine with
particles of the virus, forming compounds called antigen/antibody
complexes.  These complexes can become deposited in the organs and over
time, can clog and destroy them.
 
The most dangerous thing about ADV is, a ferret can have it and show no
symptoms at all.  The ferret can appear perfectly healthy, and still have
ADV and be spreading it.  That is why testing for ADV is so important.
 
Right now there are several tests commercially available that detect ADV.
The Blue Cross Animal Hospital in Idaho is running the CEP test, and
Avecon Diagnostics in PA offers both the ELISA test, as well as a home
test called the Quick Chek.  One advantage to the Avecon tests is, they
are run against a saliva sample.  The CEP test does require blood, but
only a small capillary tube of blood is needed.  Soon, the UGA will have
their own ELISA test for ADV on the market, too.
 
For now, I am not going to go into detail on the different tests.  If
people need a review of what each test is and how it works, I will be
happy to post that at a later time.
 
Instead, I want to spend the last part of this post on some information
that may be a little OT - at least where ferrets are concerned.
 
Within the last year to 18 months, it is has been found that domestic
skunks also can catch and carry ADV.  Now, while the number of domestic
skunk owners is far smaller then the number of ferret owners.  many skunk
owners also have ferrets, so there is some tie in here.
 
Probably the biggest question that skunk and ferret owners have is, can
one species transmit ADV to the other.  At this time there is no definite
answer, however, according to the researchers at UGA, it may be possible.
They have done some sequencing of the DNA strands from both skunks and
ferret, and they have determined that while there are some differences -
indicating they are separate strains - they are very similar.  It is
possible they are similar enough that one strain could jump to the other
species.
 
The research team has not been looking at skunk ADV as long as they have
ferret ADV, and so there are still many things that are not known.
However, from talking with skunk owners, it appears that a very high
percentage of the skunks tested are turning out to be ADV+.  Fortunately,
with ferrets, that is not the case.  And, like with ferrets, it appears
that some ADV+ skunks can live normal lives and eventually die from
something completely unrelated to ADV.  But, the UGA has confirmed skunk
deaths from ADV, so it can also kill skunks.
 
In recent months, we have had several skunk owners and shelter operators
join the ADVList on Yahoo Groups.  They have joined us in part because
much of the information they can get on ADV is about ADV in ferrets.  But
also, they realize the importance of people joining together to fight a
common enemy - ADV.  By pooling out resources and knowledge, we have a
better chance of affecting a positive outcome.
 
I do plan on writing additional parts in this series, but will stop for
now, and save the rest for another day.  In the meantime, I am open to
answering questions people might have, either in private emails or on
the FML.  I do not have all the answer - I am still learning where ADV is
concerned.  But, I am not afraid to say "I don't know" when that is the
truth, and I am also not afraid to go out and search for answers to valid
questions.  Plus, there are other FML members who have dealt with ADV,
and hopefully at least some of them would be willing to provide help and
answers when possible.
 
--
Danee DeVore
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://www.ferretcongress.org
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com
You can help fight ADV!
Visit: http://help4adv.terrabox.com/
[Posted in FML issue 5217]