Mink enteritis virus (MEV) is a strain of ''

Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 ''Carnivore protoparvovirus 1'' (CPPV 1) is a species of parvovirus that infects carnivorans. It causes a highly contagious disease in both dogs and cats separately. The disease is generally divided into two major genogroups: CPV-1 containing the ...

'' that infects mink and causes

enteritis Enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by food or drink contaminated with pathogenic microbes,Dugdale, David C., IIII, and George F Longretc"Enteritis" MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, 18 October 2008. Access ...

. Like all parvoviruses, it is a small (18–26 nm), spherical virus, and has a single-stranded DNA

genome In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding ge ...

. The signs and symptoms of enteritis usually appear within 4–7 days after infection. The virus replicates in the cells of the

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

epithelium in the

duodenum The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear, and the terms anterior intestine or proximal intestine m ...

and

jejunum The jejunum is the second part of the small intestine in humans and most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. Its lining is specialised for the absorption by enterocytes of small nutrient molecules which have been previous ...

and, to a lesser extent the

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine ma ...

, colon and

caecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The w ...

. The severity of the disease is directly related to

necrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...

of the crypt epithelium. Virus enteritis of mink was recognized first in 1947 when epizootics occurred among ranch mink in southern Canada. The disease subsequently spread to the United States and Europe.

Types

There are at least three types of MEV. From an

antigen In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule or molecular structure or any foreign particulate matter or a pollen grain that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response. ...

perspective, MEV-1 is indistinguishable from feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV), so it's usually identified by the host it's isolated from. MEV-2 is similar to a blue fox parvovirus.

Signs and symptoms

Clinical signs include

anorexia Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...

vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the Human nose, nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like Food-poisoning, foo ...

and severe

diarrhoea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

. Stools of affected animals usually contain large quantities of mucus and intestinal casts or "plugs" composed of fibrin, mucus and dead cells from intestinal mucosa. In immature animals, anorexia and diarrhoea usually occur about four days after exposure to infectious material and persist for four to seven days. However, infections have been reported in which anorexia was followed by death in 12 to 24 hours without the occurrence of diarrhoea. Mortality of 80 percent or more is possible in newly weaned kits. Mature mink often survive the disease after a period of sickness which may last several weeks. In addition to the overt signs a reduction of the number of leukocytes in the blood may be found in affected animals.

Treatment

Treatment consists of

oral rehydration therapy Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is a type of fluid replacement used to prevent and treat dehydration, especially due to diarrhea. It involves drinking water with modest amounts of sugar and salts, specifically sodium and potassium. Oral rehydrati ...

in addition to supportive care. Surgical removal of necrotic tissue may be necessary.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6867816 Mustelid diseases Parvovirinae Infraspecific virus taxa

Types

Signs and symptoms

Treatment

See also

References