Vet Pathol 44:687–690 (2007) Aleutian Disease in Two Domestic Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis)

Abstract. This report describes the use of polymerase chain reaction and DNA in situ hybridization to diagnose Aleutian mink disease parvovirus DNA in various tissue specimens from 2 companion striped skunks. Clinical, laboratory, and microscopic findings also support a clinical diagnosis of Aleutian disease in these mink. Key words: Aleutian disease; Aleutian mink disease virus; DNA in situ hybridization; parvovirus; polymerase chain reaction; striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Aleutian mink disease parvovirus (ADV) is known to infect several members of the Mustelidae family, with mink and ferrets being the most commonly reported hosts. Aleutian disease (AD) in adult animals is characterized by hypergammaglobulinemia and im-mune-complex disease.2,5 The most common form of AD involves a persistent infection due to the inability of the host immune response to neutralize and eliminate the virus.2 Lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of variou