I've actually heard today that someone said that is only contagious to
ferret fetuses, that it is a mild disease and there are problems only
when there are complications.

Huh? I repeat but with exclamations: ?!HUH!?

So, how about a series of good references on ADV for all, nad I have
also included a sprinkling of past ADV posts but was unable to find the
absolutely excellent series that Danee DeVore created so, please, look
for that:

http://www.ferretadv.com/

Some Aleutians nuggets and I recommend reading the faqs there for full
info:

>Like AIDS, it is spread through bodily fluids, and causes an
>autoimmune disease. Also, like AIDS, an infected ferret can spread
>ADV even though it is not showing any outward symptoms.
>
>ADV differs from AIDS, though, because it is very hardy, and can live
>for long periods outside a host body.

They are from 

http://www.ferretadv.com/faq.html

which  I  H I G H L Y   R E C O M M E N D

Note that the damage is caused by the plaques that develop in response
to ADV and that they can and do cause organ failure.

Here is a heartbreaking video showing the
type of difficulty walking which can happen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca2qC3vohYw

http://miamiferret.org/aleutian.htm

includes 
>Most infected ferrets remain asymptomatic until shortly before death.
>Non-specific signs include lethargy, anorexia. Ataxia and paraparesis
>may be seen classically in chronic cases (but occasionally in very
>acute cases as a premonitory sign) due to accumulations of
>inflammatory cells within the spinal cord.. Anemia, thrombocytopenia,
>and/or leukopenia, cutaneous hemorrhages, and secondary infections
>may be seen in various combinations in end stage disease.

and is a recommended read

Don't miss this by Dr Adrian Deeney:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/aleutian01.htm

http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/adv.html

From 2002:

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG2533

>My top 15 were recently published in Ferrets USA if a list is
>important. If you would like the full list, it goes like this -
> 
> 1. Gastric ulcers
> 2. Helicobacter
> 3. ADV
> 4. Insulinoma
> 5. Adrenal disease
> 6. Lymphoma
> 7. IBD
> 8. Cardiomyopathy
> 9. ECE
> 10. Distemper
> 11. Influenza
> 12. Automimmune hemolytic anemia
> 13. Dental disease
> 14. Splenomegaly
> 15. Peripheral retinal atrophy
>
>That's my opinion, for what it's worth.
>
>With kindest regards,
>Bruce Williams, DVM

Aleutian Disease is covered in multiple slides beginning a bit more
than 2/3rds of the way down in:

http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/Diseases/Endocrine_And_Hematopoietic.pdf

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG1735

>Date: Mon Mar 26, 2001 0:48am
>Subject: Re: ADV questions
> 
>Aleutian Disease in ferrets is an auto-immune condition initiated by
>infection by an innocuous parvovirus. Infection is not always fatal,
>as some ferrets are able to clear the infection, but once clinical
>signs of the disease are seen, the disease will proceed to its
>inevitable course, the demise of the ferret.
>
>The course of the disease is 18-24 months, with the balance of that
>time being without symptoms. It is generally only in the last several
>months that the symptoms of the disease become obvious - renal
>failure, weight loss, splenomegaly, and terminally, clotting
>abnormalities. In a small subset of cases, an early sign may be
>ascending paralysis, from which the animal recovers to health for a
>period of many months, before eventually succumbing to the kidney
>damage that an immune system gone awry can cause.
>
>Currently, there is no treatment or prevention, but diagnostic tests
>can identify infected ferrets. The problem with Aleutian disease is
>that as it is generally an asymptomatic infection until late in the
>course of disease, apparently normal asymptomatic ferrets can spread
>virus in urine and to a lesser extent in feces and other secretions
>to all around them.
>
>With kindest regards,
>
>Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL4298

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG7131

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG18028

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG8446

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG12486

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL5123

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL1207

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL935

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL924

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG13236

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG1608

<http://www.weaselwords.com/ferret-articles/ferret-aleutian-disease-on-the-rise-again/>

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
On change for its own sake: "You can go really fast if you just jump
off the cliff." (2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 6991]