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]