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]