Aleutian Disease of Mink: I. Evidence of its Viral Etiology.

A suspension of tissues from field cases of Aleutian disease was used successfully to reproduce the disease in Aleutian mink. Similarly, suspensions of diseased tissues from the experimentally infected mink were used to transmit the agent of Aleutian disease to both Aleutian mink and standard dark mink. Seitz and millipore filtrates prepared from these tissue suspensions were also infective; a suggestion that the etiologic agent is a virus. Genetic factors and hypersensitivity are discussed as possibly contributing to development of the disease.