It has some to my attention that some who have been lucky and have not run into one of the coccidia mutants do not grasp what can happen with the nasty mutants. Every once in a while coccidia throws a variant which has the chance of killing a huge number of ferrets. You should have seen Dr. Bruce Williams scrambling with the pathology and others with the epidemiology the first time such a variant appeared. It was a very scary time. A LOT of ferrets died of that one because the blooms of the parasite would be simultaneous, with the result that the ferrets would bleed out, and there is no way to predict that or deal with it when it occurs, and because quarantines were not used for the first few weeks until people finally were frightened enough to take it seriously. With some diseases like ECE variants are rare to non-existent (in fact, only one version of the ECE causing coronavirus has been found in genetic studies of that virus), but coccidia is very good at periodically having some incredibly nasty versions. People who have not been through one or haven't helped find help during one don't know that and can innocently and naively not realize how bad some versions are. Hopefully, they will always be so lucky, but for the future will know that not everyone is that fortunate. --- A new ECE abstract to enjoy: Virology. 2006 May 25;349(1):164-74. Epub 2006 Feb 24. Molecular characterization of a novel coronavirus associated with epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE) in ferrets. Wise AG, Kiupel M, Maes RK. Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, Rm. 136E, 4125 Beaumont Road, Lansing, MI 48909, USA; Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. A novel coronavirus, designated as ferret enteric coronavirus (FECV), was identified in feces of domestic ferrets clinically diagnosed with epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE). Initially, partial sequences of the polymerase, spike, membrane protein, and nucleocapsid genes were generated using coronavirus consensus PCR assays. Subsequently, the complete sequences of the nucleocapsid gene and the last two open reading frames at the 3' terminus of the FECV genome were obtained. Phylogenetic analyses based on predicted partial amino acid sequences of the polymerase, spike, and membrane proteins, and full sequence of the nucleocapsid protein showed that FECV is genetically most closely related to group 1 coronaviruses. FECV is more similar to feline coronavirus, porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus, and canine coronavirus than to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and human coronavirus 229E. Molecular data presented in this study provide the first genetic evidence for a new coronavirus associated with clinical cases of ECE. PMID: 16499943 [PubMed - in process] Also, some will have noticed that those involved with a study in Europe have issued a preliminary report which may wind up being this coronavirus or could be something else. I have been in communication with one of the researchers, and am curious about reading what they wind up finding when further work is done and they issue a new report for all. -- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private posts) Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them: Ferret Health List http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ AFIP Ferret Pathology http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html Miamiferrets http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ International Ferret Congress Critical References http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5267]