Hi everyone,

This is just a quick reminder that current vaccinations are never a
100% guarantee that a ferret is protected from a disease. Also, some
diseases such as distemper can easily be brought to a show without
bringing an infected animal to the show facility.

I volunteered in wild lifer rehabilitation for years before I had
ferrets, and we stepped into pans of disinfectant before
entering/leaving various rooms at the facility.We took a lot of
precautions, and we still ended up with some distemper issues. (I
stopped rehabbing when I got ferrets).

There's always some risk associated with going to any show just as
there is going to the vet's office. There's risk of bringing distemper
into your house on your shoes. There's risk. escpecially with the baby
series of shots, that the vaacination may be insufficent for some
animals. There's risk associated with simply being alive.

In short, it's possible to spread distemper in spite of "perfect
process". Moreover, it would most likely be virtually impossible to
indentify the exact vector for an outbreak barring gross negligence.

Perhaps there could be opportunity for improved communication and/or
improved protocol for the AFA show system, but the risk of disease
transmittal can never be completely eradicated.

With Best Regards,
-Jennifer

[Posted in FML 6394]