Experimental transmission of Aleutian disease virus (ADV) to different animal species.

Two animals from each of 8 different species (mink, Finn raccoon, cat, dog, ferret, blue fox, mouse and rabbit) were inoculated with the highly virulent Utah I strain of ADV. Only the mink developed hypergammaglobulinemia. All animals produced antibodies to ADV antigens, but with different titres. Mink sera had much higher antibody titres than the other animal sera. Antibodies to the ADV-coded, non-structural polypeptide (p71) were found in mink, Finn raccoons and dogs only. Presence of this kind of antibodies was taken as evidence of ADV replication, because p71 was not present in the ADV inoculum. The animals were killed 4 weeks after virus inoculation. Homogenates of different organs from mink, Finn raccoons, ferrets, dogs, mice and the cat were shown to infect ADV-negative mink, which developed antibodies to ADV following inoculation. We conclude from the present studies that mink and Finn raccoons are potential threats as ADV transmitters. Cats, ferrets, dogs and mice may be considered potential ADV reservoirs, because they possibly harbour ADV for 4 weeks or longer. Blue foxes and rabbits did not seem to be a risk factor for ADV transmission.