ferret - Articles
Mycoplasmosis
Introduction
- Cause: Mycoplasma spp.
- Signs: varied depending on the severity of the disease and the presence of concurrent illness.
- Diagnosis: bronchoalveolar lavage for cytology, bacterial culture and sensitivity, PCR, ocular swabs.
- Treatment: antibiotics, supportive therapy (cough syrup), bronchodilators, ophthalmic NSAIDs.
- Prognosis: (type here)
- A novel Mycoplasma spp has recently been identified in ferrets causing respiratory disease. This was initially seen on a very large scale with over 8,000 ferrets affected from one breeding facility.
Age predisposition
- Has been present in young ferrets, with clinical signs noted shortly after purchase from the pet store.
Pathogenesis
Etiology
- Mycoplasma pulmonis is a significant cause of respiratory disease in rodent species, but the species of Mycoplasma affecting ferrets have been more problematic to identify, although they appear most similar to M. molare and M.lagogenitalium.
Pathophysiology
- Most Mycoplasma spp are host-specific and spread between animals occurs via aerosol transmission.
- In the respiratory system, Mycoplasma attaches to ciliated epithelial cells causing damage and disruption to their normal function.
Epidemiology
- Transmission is likely aersolization, but infection from time of exposure is unknown.
- Establishment of a carrier state is not yet proven in ferrets.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Kiupel M, Desjardins D R et al (2012) Mycoplasmosis in ferrets. Emerging Infectious Diseases 18 (11), 1763-1770.
Other sources of information
- Richardson J & Perpinan D (2017) Disorders of the respiratory system. In: Ferret Medicine and Surgery. Ed: Johnson-Delaney C A. CRC Press, USA. pp 311-324.