Table 1. Clinical disease in ferrets after experimental infection with rNiVM.
| Ferret no. | Clinical outcome | Respa | Neurob | Hemc | Fever | Clinical disease |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rNiVM-wt-1 | F.D. d8 | + | ++ | − | d4–7 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6); hypoalbuminemia (d6); hyperglycaemia (d6); depression (d6–7); lethargy (d6–7); inappetence (d7); ocular and nasal discharge (d7); myoclonus (d7); ataxia (d7); loss of 20% body weight |
| rNiVM-wt-2 | EU d8 | + | − | − | d4–7 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6,8); lymphopaenia (d6,8); hypoalbuminemia (d6,8); >3-fold increase in BUN (d8); hyperglycaemia (d6); depression (d6–8); lethargy (d6–8); sneezing (d7–8); ocular, nasal and oral discharge (d7–8); severely obtunded (d8) |
| rNiVM-wt-3 | F.D. d8 | + | ++ | − | d5–6 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6); lymphopaenia (d6); hypoalbuminemia (d6); hyperglycaemia (d6); depression (d5–7); lethargy (d5–7); inappetence (d6–7); (d7); ocular and nasal discharge (d6–7); ataxia (d7); hind–limb myoclonus (d7) |
| rNiVM-wt-4 | EU d7 | + | ++ | + | d4–6 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6–7); lymphopaenia (d6–7); hypoalbuminemia (d6,7); >3-fold increase in BUN (d7); hyperglycaemia (d7); depression (d6–7); lethargy (d5–7); inappetence (d6–7); ocular and nasal discharge (d6–7); nasal/oral frothing (d7); periorbital/facial oedema (d7); ataxia (d6–7); myoclonus (d7); violent tremors (d7); hypothermia (d7) |
| rNiVM-wt-5 | EU d8 | + | + | + | d4–7 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6,8); lymphopaenia (d6); hypoalbuminemia (d6,8); >3-fold increase in BUN (d8); depression (d5–7); lethargy (d5–7); inappetence (d6–8); dehydration (d8); rales (d6–8); ocular, nasal and oral discharge (d6); ataxia (d6–8); severe hypothermia (d8) |
| rNiVM-Wko-1 | EU d9 | + | +++ | − | d7–8 | Thrombocytopaenia (d9); lymphopaenia (d9); hypoalbuminemia (d9); >3-fold increase in BUN (d6,9); hyperglycaemia (d9); depression (d8–9); lethargy (d7–9); dehydration (d9); sneezing (d8–9); rales (d9); nasal and oral frothing (d9); severe ataxia (d9); periodic seizures (d9); hypothermia (dy9) |
| rNiVM-Wko-2 | EU d10 | + | +++ | − | d6–9 | Thrombocytopaenia (d10); hypoalbuminemia (d10); >3-fold increase in BUN (d10); depression (d8–10); lethargy (d7–10); inappetence (d8–10); hypersalivation (d10); sneezing (d8); ataxia (d8–10); full-body tremors (d10); periodic severe seizures with random vocalization (d10); severe hypothermia (d10) |
| rNiVM-Wko-3 | EU d11 | + | − | + | d7–9 | Thrombocytopaenia (d10–11); lymphopaenia (d10); hypoalbuminemia (d10,11); >3-fold increase in BUN (d11); hyperglycaemia (d10); depression (d8–11); lethargy (d7–11); sneezing (d8–10); ocular and nasal discharge (d10–11); severe hypothermia (d11); obtunded (d11) |
| rNiVM-Wko-4 | EU d8 | + | ++ | − | d6–8 | Thrombocytopaenia (d8); lymphopaenia (d8); hypoalbuminemia (d8); depression (d7–8); lethargy (d7–8); sneezing (d7–8); nasal discharge (d7); heavy nasal and oral frothing (d8); severe ataxia (d8); severely obtunded (d8) |
| rNiVM-Wko-5 | EU d9 | + | +++ | + | d6–8 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6, 9); lymphopaenia (d9); hypoalbuminemia (d9); >3-fold increase in BUN (d9); hyperglycaemia (d9); depression (d8–9); lethargy (d7–9); dehydration (d9); sneezing (d7–8); rales (d9); nasal discharge (d7); nasal and oral frothing (d9); severe ataxia (d9) |
| rNiVM-Vko-1 | s.e. d35 | − | − | − | d6–9 | lymphopaenia (d6) |
| rNiVM-Vko-2 | s.e. d35 | − | − | − | d6–10 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6); lymphopaenia (d6); lethargy (d8, 11) |
| rNiVM-Vko-3 | s.e. d35 | − | − | − | d6–7 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6); lymphopaenia (d6) |
| rNiVM-Vko-4 | s.e. d35 | − | − | − | d7–11 | lymphopaenia (d6,10,15); hypoalbuminemia (d6,10,15); hyperglycaemia (d15); depression (d12–16); lethargy (d12–16); nasal discharge (d12); tremors in head and neck with occasional facial and ear twitching (d12–23); mild ataxia (d19–23) |
| rNiVM-Vko-5 | s.e. d35 | − | − | − | d6–10 | Thrombocytopaenia (d6,10); lymphopaenia (d10); hypoalbuminemia (d10) |
BUN, blood urea nitrogen; EU, euthanized due to rNiVM-mediated disease; d, day p.i.; F.D., found dead; hem, hemorrhage; neuro, neurologic involvement; resp, respiratory involvement; s.e., euthanized at study end point.
aThe absence (−) or presence (+) of increased respiratory effort and/or rate.
bThe absence (−) or presence of minor (+), moderate (++) or severe (+++) neurological signs.
cExtensive perioribtal, facial and ventral neck oedema with subcutaneous haemorrhages.