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Abstract
Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (ADV) is a naturally occurring, autonomous parvovirus that is capable of infecting some members of the Mustelidae family. Although this virus originated in mink, its presence in ferrets is cause for concern due to the increasing popularity of these animals as pets. Because of the host specificity and mutability of ADV, infected animals can be asymptomatic or have clinical disease characterized by progressive weight loss, cachexia, malaise, and melena. A common laboratory abnormality is hypergammaglobulinemia. Current methods to diagnose ADV infection in ferrets include counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and DNA in situ hybridization. Virus-specific antibody in serum can be detected by CIEP. PCR can be used to detect target segments of viral nucleic acid in clinical samples. ELISA can be used to detect viral-specific antibodies or viral group-specific antigens. DNA in situ hybridization is also a valuable diagnostic technique that can detect and localize viral DNA in cells, tissues, and organs.