Page 903 - Veterinary Immunology, 10th Edition

response in the mucosa. This local mucosal response should
VetBooks.ir prevent coronavirus invasion without inducing high levels of

serum antibodies. This vaccine, however, will only be effective if
administered before coronavirus exposure. In highly endemic

situations in which kittens are infected at a young age, vaccination
at 16 weeks of age may be too late to prevent infection.

Aleutian Disease of Mink

Although immune-complex–mediated lesions are usually only of
passing interest in many infectious diseases, they generate the
major pathological lesions in Aleutian disease of mink. Aleutian
disease due to a parvovirus infection that was first recognized in
mink with the Aleutian coat color. Although all strains of mink are

susceptible to this virus, Aleutian mink are genetically predisposed
to the development of severe lesions since they are affected by the
Chédiak-Higashi syndrome (Chapter 39). Persistently infected mink

develop a slowly progressive lymphoproliferative disease with a
plasmacytosis that has been compared to a myeloma since it results
in a polyclonal or monoclonal gammopathy (Fig. 27.10). They also
develop immune-complex–mediated lesions (Chapter 32), including
glomerulonephritis and arteritis. They make autoantibodies to their

own immunoglobulins (rheumatoid factors) and to DNA
(antinuclear antibodies). Their serum IgG concentration increases,
sometimes to very high levels. On occasion, these elevated

immunoglobulins are monoclonal in origin. They are directed
against the Aleutian disease parvovirus. The virus transforms B
cells so that they proliferate and differentiate excessively.

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