Anonymous Poster,
Globulin is a type of protein in the blood.  Any type of chronic infection
or inflammation can cause the globulin levels to become elevated.  Aleution
disease is a serious disease caused by a virus.  This causes the ferret's
system to become active to try to fight off the infection.  The antibodies
the ferret produces to fight off the infection start to accumulate in the
kidneys and other organs and eventually causes failure of that organ.  This
is a fatal disease.  There is a blood test to diagnose this disease.  We are
suspicious of this disease if a ferret has an elevated globulin and we order
a protein electrophoresis (a test to tell us the different levels of all the
types of globulins in the blood)and the gamma globulin level is 20% or more
of the total globulin level.
 
But to answer your question, yes,ECE or any chronic infection can cause the
globulin level to increase.  Although this is not a very commmon disease it
is significant because the virus that causes this disease is contagious from
ferret to ferret.
 
Dr Weiss
301-299-4142
[Posted in FML issue 1417]