This article appeared today:

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695235247,00.html

including

>"The 10 ferrets released into Snake John are part of a larger study to
>determine the effectiveness of a vaccine developed for the sylvatic
>plague, which is the prairie dog version of the black plague," said
>Brian Maxfield, sensitive species biologist with the Utah Division of
>Wildlife Resources.
>
>"The black-footed ferret preys almost exclusively on prairie dogs...
>[but] neither the ferret nor its prey have natural immunities to the
>plague."...
>

>"The study started in 2004," said Maxfield. "As part of the study,
>we get about 20 animals a year. The vaccine is given to half of the
>animals. The other half are control animals that are not vaccinated.

Here is the announcement of the vaccine 3 and 1/2 years ago:

>J Zoo Wildl Med. 2004 Jun;35(2):142-6.
>Recombinant F1-V fusion protein protects black-footed ferrets
>(Mustela nigripes) against virulent Yersinia pestis infection.
>
>Rocke TE, Mencher J, Smith SR, Friedlander AM, Andrews GP, Baeten LA.
>U S Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, National
>Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA.
>
>Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are highly susceptible to
>sylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and this
>disease has severely hampered efforts to restore ferrets to their
>historic range. A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of
>vaccination of black-footed ferrets against plague using a recombinant
>protein vaccine, designated F1-V, developed by personnel at the U.S.
>Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Seven
>postreproductive black-footed ferrets were immunized with the vaccine,
>followed by two booster immunizations on days 23 and 154; three
>control black-footed ferrets received a placebo. After the second
>immunization, antibody titers to both F1 and V antigen were found to
>be significantly higher in vaccinates than controls. On challenge with
>7,800 colony-forming units of virulent plague by s.c. injection, the
>three control animals died within 3 days, but six of seven vaccinates
>survived with no ill effects. The seventh vaccinate died on day 8.
>These results indicate that black-footed ferrets can be immunized
>against plague induced by the s.c. route, similar to fleabite
>injection.
> PMID: 15305507 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5823]