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Gastroenteritis in the Ferret
(Mustela putorius furo)
120_graphic_13ferret

With the burgeoning interest in ferrets as household pets, veterinarians and diagnosticians should be aware of the common diseases and unique syndromes of ferrets.  Gastroenteritis is a   common clinical finding in ferrets.  While most cases of gastroenteritis are due to foreign bodies, specific  disease entities, such as eosinophilic gastro-enteritis, Helicobacter mustelae- associated gastritis, and   epizootic catarrhal enteritis may be involved.
  It is important to know the clinical picture, diagnostic findings, and pathogeneses unique to these syndromes in order to  correctly identify the cause of gastroenteritis.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis:  Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a relatively uncommon alimentary disease in ferrets characterized by eosinophilic   infiltrates in the  gastrointestinal tract with clinical signs of chronic gastroenteritis.  Eosinophilic gastroenteritis has been described in other species such as the horse, dog, cat and humans, and has been associated with Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in the ferret.  The cause of EGE in ferrets is unknown.

  Clinical signs of EGE include chronic weight loss,  diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and inappetance.  Intestinal loops can be thickened with cystic, dilated serosal       lymphatics.  One of the most suggestive diagnostic  findings of EGE is a peripheral eosinophilia; however, cases have been described in which no eosinophilia was observed throughout the course of the clinical  assessment.  A definitive diagnosis is based on histopathology.  Histologic lesions of EGE are characterized by focal    diffuse inflammatory infiltrates in the stomach or intestinal mucosa with significant proportions of  eosinophils. Eosinophilic infiltrates are often present in other tissues including the liver, pancreas, and lymph nodes.  The Splendore-Hoeppli phemomenon may also be seen in mesenteric lymph nodes.  Treatment is based on immunosuppression with corticosteroids which might be life-long.

Helicobacter mustelae-associated gastritis:  Helicobacter mustelae iis a gram negative comma-shaped (Campylobacter-like) bacterium which has been associated with atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric   adenocarcinomas and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in ferrets.  Chronic atrophic gastritis caused by H. mustelae  is associated with bacterial stimulation of a lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory response and increases in gastric pH.   Peptic ulcers may be related to elevated blood gastrin levels.  Ferret colonies often have up to 100% prevalence of Helicobacter mustelae despite clinical disease being quite uncommon.  The inciting cause of the transition from   benign gastric inhabitant to relevant pathogen is unknown; however, similarities between H. mustelae infections in ferrets and Helicobacter pylori infections in humans has led to the use of H. mustelae as a model for Helicobacter pylori-related human    gastric disease and neoplasia.

Clinical signs of H. mustelae-associated gastritis    include lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, emaciation, dehydration and anemia.  Stress appears to be a factor in disease severity, and might be related to inadequate diets or changes in feed.  Gross lesions are infrequent in mild forms of the disease; however, in severe cases, the gastric mucosa contains small ulcers and is covered with digested blood.

Histopathology is needed for a definitive diagnosis and the pylorus is the preferred biopsy site.  Histologic lesions    consist of  lymphoplasmacytic gastritis with loss of glandular epithelium.  Bacteria can be demonstrated with a Warthin-Starry silver stain..Treatment involves anti-microbials and gastric protectants.

Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis:  Epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE) is a high morbidity, low mortality, self-limiting diarrheal disease in ferrets caused by a ferret coronavirus.  Clinically, ECE presents with the sudden onset of profuse bright green diarrhea in older ferrets, which rapidly distributes throughout the ferret colony.  The incubation period is 48-72 hours and primarily clinical signs last approximately 5-7 days.  Affected ferrets may be lethargic, anorexic and dehydrated.  Mortality is low with few animals dying from dehydration or concurrent illnesses.  Treatment is aimed at correcting and preventing dehydration and secondary infections.

  The diagnosis of ECE is based on clinical signs, epidemiological characteristics and histopathology.  Biopsies  acquired from the jejunum of affected ferrets show   vacuolar degeneration and necrosis of apical enterocytes with significant villus atrophy and fusion, and lymphocytic   proprial infiltrates.  Coronavirus  particles can be seen in feces via electron microscopy during the acute stages of the disease, although lack of viral particles does not rule out coronaviral disease.

-by Dr. Ryan Jennings, Michigan State Extern

-edited by Dr. Robert Johnson, ADDL Graduate Student

References:

  1. Blomme EAG, Foy SH, Chappell KH et al: 1999.    1999.     Hypereosinophilic syndrome with Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in a ferret. ferret.  J Comp Path 120:211-217.

  2. Erdman SE, Correa P, Coleman LA et al: 1997.  Helicobacter mustelae-associated gastric MALT  lymphoma in ferrets.  Am J Pathol 151(1):273-80

  3. Fazakas S: 2000. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in a   domestic ferret. Can Vet J 41_707-709

  4. Fox JG, Correa P, Taylor NS et al: 1990.  Helicobacter mustelae-associated gastritis in ferrets.  An animal model of Helicobacter pylori gastritis in humans.     Gastroent 99(2):353-61

  5. Fox JG, Dangler CA, Sager R et al: 1997. Helicobacter mustelae-associated gastric adenocarcinoma in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).  Vet Path 34(3): 225-9.

  6. Fox JGZ, Otto G, Murphy JC et al: 1991.  Gastric    colonization of the ferret with Helicobacter species; natural and experimental infections.  Rev Infect Dis 13, Suppl 8:S671-80.

  7. Fox JG, Palley LS, Rose R: 1992.  Eosinophilic gastroenteritis with Splendore-Hoeppli material in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo).  Vet Path 29(1):21-6

  8. Lewington J, ed. 2000.  Ferret Husbandry. Medicine and Surgery.  Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann

  9. Perkins SE, Fox JG, Walsh JH: 1996. Helicobacter   mustelae-associated gastric MALT lymphoma in ferrets.  hypergastrinemia in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).  Am J Vet Res 57(2): 147-50

  10. Williams BH: 1998.  Pathology of the Domestic Ferret.  Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington D.C.

  11. Williams BH, Kuipel M, West KH et al: 2000.   Coronavirus-associated epizootic catarrhal enteritis in ferrets. JAVMA 217(4):526-30.

 

 

 

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