Skunk Haven™: Aleution Disease Virus in Skunks Page 1

Skunk Haven™ Rescue, Shelter, and Education, Inc.

At this time no one knows much about Aleutian Disease Virus (ADV) in domestic skunks, how it is transmitted, when it is contagious, if skunks are born with it, etc.

At this time we suggest:

Boost up the immune system and give a your skunk a healthy diet.
Increase Vitamin C, give Colostrum, and implement other immune boosting supplements (always consult your vet).
Reduce any type of stress.

Check blood work Total Protein (TP) and Globulin (Glob). If these values are high then consider this a possible ADV case.

ADV treatment

For use use in skunks with chronic diarrhea, bleeding gums, chronic nose bleeds, high temperature, unusual brusing, and/or erratic or no desire for eating.

Drugs used:

Tamflu
Imuran
Prednizone
Cipro

Please call Dr. Frank Krupka or Skunk Haven for suggested dosing.

Follow up with Collidial Silver, Spirulina Powder, and Chlorella suppliments added to each meal until symptoms are clear, then continue once daily as a preventative measure.

Refer to our Veterinary Care ADV page for background information on specific ADV cases.

A veterinary pathology study regarding ADV in skunks has been published. This information is provided with permission from The American College of Veterinary Pathology.

K.E. Pennick, K.S. Latimer, C.A. Brown, J.R. Jayes,and C.F. Sarver
Aleutian Disease in Two Domestic Striped Skunks ( Mephitis mephitis),
Vet Pathol 44,687-690,2007

The University of Georga conducted tests on blood, urine, feces, and tissue samples of skunks suspected of having ADV.

In the following table the ELISA values indicate the amount of ADV antibodies found in the sample(s) from each subject. At this time we are not sure if all of the skunks that test positive for antibodies have the ADV virus or not. A positive ADV antibody count may indicate passive exposure to the virus, or, in some cases, may be an indication that the virus resides in tissues or organs which were not tested for the indicated subject.

Sample	Type	CIEP Result	ELISA	Urine PCR	Serum PCR	Tissue PCR	Fecal PCR	FF Tissues ISH
1	serum		4		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
2	serum		256		pos
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
3	serum		16		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
4	serum		4		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
5	serum		256		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
6	serum		4		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
7	serum		16		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
8	serum		neg		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
9	serum		4		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
10	serum		neg		neg
	urine			neg
	fecal						neg
11	serum	neg			neg
	fecal						neg
12	serum	neg			neg
	fecal						neg
13	serum	64			neg
14	serum		50		neg
retest	serum skunk		156250		POS
	fecal						neg
15	serum skunk		neg		neg
16	serum skunk		50		neg
	ff testicles							neg
17	serum skunk		50		neg
	fecal						neg
18	serum		1250		neg
19	serum		suspect		neg
	fecal				neg
	abdominal fluid				neg
20	serum		neg		neg
21	serum		250		neg
	feces						neg
22	serum		6250		neg
23	serum		6250		neg
24	serum		1250		neg
25	serum		50		neg
	ff testicles							pos
26	serum		250		POS
	ff testicles							pos
27	fresh tissue							pos
28	fresh tissue							pos
29	serum		6250		neg
30	serum		50		neg
31	serum		250		POS
32	slides							pos
33	slides							neg
34	serum		did other one		did other one
35	serum		250		neg
retest	serum		neg		neg
retest	plasma		781250		neg
	urine			neg
36	serum		781250		neg
37	serum		781250		neg
retest	plasma		6250		neg
38	slides							pos
39	slides							pos
40	serum		156250		neg
41	serum		50		neg
retest	serum		1250		neg
retest	serum		neg		neg
42	serum		1250		neg
43	serum		6250		neg
retest	serum		6250		neg
44	serum		156250		neg
45	serum		156250		neg
46	serum		neg		neg
47	serum		50		neg
48	serum		250		neg
49	serum		781250		neg
50	serum		neg		neg
51	serum		50		neg
52	serum		250		neg
53	serum		31250		neg
54	serum		neg		neg
55	serum		6250		neg
56	serum		neg		neg
57	serum		1250		POS
58	serum		6250		neg
59	serum		1250		neg
60	serum		neg		neg
61	serum		neg		neg
62	serum		suspect		neg
63	serum		neg		neg
64	serum		neg		neg
65	fresh tissue					kidney +; liver -		pos
retest	serum		1250		neg
66	serum		31250		neg
retest	serum		6250		neg
67	testicles							weak pos
retest	serum		781250		POS
68	uterus							weak pos
retest	testicles							weak pos
69	serum		neg		neg
70	serum		6250		neg
71	serum		50		neg
	testicles							neg
72	serum		250		neg
73	serum				neg
74	serum		neg		neg
	urine			neg
75	serum		neg		neg
	urine			neg
76	serum				neg
77	serum		6250		POS
78	serum		31250		neg
79	serum		1250		neg
retest	serum		250		neg
retest	serum		1250		neg
	uterus							neg
retest	serum		neg		neg
80	serum		neg		neg
retest	serum		6250		neg
81	serum		250		neg
	testicles							neg
retest	serum		250		POS
retest	serum
82	serum		800		neg
83	serum		6400		neg
84	serum		200		neg
85	serum		800		neg
86	serum		3200		neg
retest	uterus							neg
retest	serum		6400		neg
87	serum		6400		POS
retest	serum		3200		neg
88	serum		200		neg
89	serum		800		neg
90	serum		3200		neg
91	serum		6400		neg
	This information provided with permission by Kate Pennick who conducted this research.

Revised 10/21/07 (kw)

SkunkHaven.Net Index

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Aleutian Disease Virus (ADV) in Skunks (pg. 1)

Aleutian Disease Virus (ADV) in Skunks (pg. 2)

Aleutian Disease Virus (ADV) in Skunks (pg. 3)

ADV treatment