Treatment of Three Ferrets Diagnosed with Ferret Systemic Coronaviral Disease Using the Nucleoside Analogue GS-441524

Abstract

Simple Summary This article describes the treatment course of three ferrets diagnosed with FSCD, a fatal disease in ferrets. An effective treatment for FSCD in ferrets has not been reported. The three ferrets were treated with the antiviral nucleoside analogue GS-441524 and monitored over the course of the 12-week treatment. Complete remission from the disease was achieved for all the three ferrets that remained disease-free months to 1 year after the treatment was terminated. Abstract Ferret Systemic Coronaviral Disease (FSCD) is a systemic disease caused by ferret systemic coronavirus, which is considered lethal in most of the ferrets that are affected by it. To our knowledge, no treatment has been shown to be effective against FSCD in vivo, and most of the ferrets are euthanized or die after the development of clinical disease. GS-441524 has been shown to be effective in successfully treating cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a disease that shares similarities with FSCD. However, to our knowledge, treatment with GS-441524 has not been reported for the treatment of FSCD in ferrets. Here, we describe three cases of ferrets diagnosed with FSCD successfully cured utilizing oral GS-441524. FSCD may be effectively treated following similar protocols utilized for feline infectious peritonitis in cats.