ECE is a gastrointestinal disease that attacks the intestines and, in moderate to severe cases, the liver. As a result, sickliness, vomiting, and diarrhea can occur. Because the diarrhea often is green, ECE has the nickname of the "green slime disease."
The illness usually runs a course of only one week, but during that time, due to the loss of fluids from vomiting and diarrhea, ferrets can become severely debilitated if they are not given medical support. Although ferrets rarely die from this disease, without fluid supplementation, the disease can be fatal.
