The early history of aleutian disease

摘要

From the 1940s until the 1960s, Aleutian disease (AD) was an enigma to the mink farmer and researchers alike. We did not know what caused the disease, how AD was spread, or how to control it. A historical survey of AD sheds considerable light on therapidity of its spread throughout the United States and foreign countries. Prior to 1940, in the early years of the mink industry, the ranches were small and relatively inefficient. Mink were trapped in the area surrounding the ranch or occasionally werebrought from as far away as Alaska or Labrador. They were considered to be what is termed a "standard dark" or "wild type" mink. The problems associated with a proper diet and the devastating outbreaks of distemper and botulism were the ranchers main concern. Thus, one cannot say for certain whether an insidious disease such as AD was present in these first ranch-raised dark mink. However, if it was present, it smoldered along unnoticed or perhaps was confused with some other malady.