In response to the statement that ferrets from Australia carried ADV,
I reply as follows :

I have no doubt that the breeder imported ferrets from Australia (I
don't know who from, but am sure it was possible as, because our stock
is & always has been disease free, it is still sought after from other
countries), but I am also positive that the breeder in NZ purchased
stock from other countries and I am absolutely positive that we do not
now nor never have had ADV in Australia.

Our Government departments in every state are constantly looking for
ways in which to prevent us from keeping ferrets as pets and we are
always having to fight some department or another on this one to defend
ferrets; should we ever find this or any other disease is present in
our ferret population it would be all over red rover for us and ferrets
would be illegal everywhere in this country. Additional to this,
because ADV is such a highly contagious viral disease we would no
longer ave been able to continue holding our picnics, ferret shows,
ferret races, etc. and there would also be heaps of Veterinary evidence
to support such a claim.

I will bow out of any further disagreement on this as it is only
someone in the middle who really knows where the disease was imported
from, but it was not from Australia.

Ferrety hugs to all.

Dianne.

[Posted in FML 7478]