(Part one of two)
[Part two tomorrow. crl]
[Note: The following report on the results of our distemper
vaccine survey is excerpted from the October 1993 issue of the
Independent Voice. The article may be quoted from or reproduced
freely with proper crediting of the source.]
In a nationwide survey of adverse reactions to the two canine
distemper vaccines most widely used to protect ferrets from the
fatal disease, problems were reported in more than 28% of cases
involving FERVAC-D, the only USDA-approved vaccine, while FROMM-
D, a dog vaccine often used for ferrets, triggered reactions only
6.1% of the time.
Responses to the ongoing survey of pet owners, breeders, rescue
shelters, and veterinarians have yielded reports on 864 ferrets
injected with FROMM-D and 508 with FERVAC-D. The questionnaire
was developed jointly by Shelters That Adopt and Rescue (STAR
Ferrets) and Acme Ferret Company, publisher of THE INDEPENDENT
VOICE, which collated the data.
Out of the total of 1,372 ferrets whose vaccination results were
reported, 1,173 had no adverse reaction, 161 experienced a minor
reaction (temporary stinging), 32 had reactions of medium
severity (screaming or lethargy), and 6 had major reactions (e.g.
vomiting, defecating blood, convulsions).
Ferrets injected at the neck or shoulder had more problems than
those injected on the rump, leg, or hip, and ferrets vaccinated
by a veterinarian had fewer problems than those vaccinated by
owners and breeders.
"Stinging" was the problem most often reported with both
vaccines, but more than five times as often with FERVAC-D as with
FROMM-D. The frequency of stinging reported with FERVAC-D was
23.6%, compared to 4.7 for FROMM-D.
Screaming was reported 2.36% of the time with FERVAC-D and 0.12%
of the time with FROMM-D. Post-injection lethargy was reported
in 1.97% of cases involving FERVAC-D and 1.04% of those involving
FROMM-D.
Serious reactions such as vomiting, seizures, and anaphylactic
shock were rare with both vaccines but reported four times as often
with FERVAC-D as with FROMM-D. Such reactions were reported in
0.08% of cases with FERVAC-D and 0.02% of cases with FROMM-D.
Anaphylactic shock, the severe allergic response sometimes
responsible for human deaths from bee sting, was reported in
three instances, all involving FERVAC-D. In one case, involving
a 5-year-old spayed albino vaccinated by a veterinarian, the
reaction was fatal.
The survey indicates the risks associated with either product can
be significantly reduced by choosing an injection site other than
neck or shoulder, and by having a veterinarian administer the
shot.
With FERVAC-D, 100% of the medium and severe reactions involved
injections delivered at the neck (85%) or shoulder (15%). With
FROMM-D, shoulder injections were involved in 67% of medium and
severe reactions, while neck injections were involved in 25%.
Of the total 38 medium to severe reactions reported with the two
vaccines, all but one -- a rump injection - - were delivered at
the neck or shoulder. No reactions more serious than stinging
were reported among the 380 injections delivered at the hip or
leg.
Owners and breeders who vaccinate their own ferrets were much
more likely to have problems of minor or medium severity with
either vaccine. Overall frequency of stinging, screaming, or
lethargy was only 3.9% for DVM-administered injections and more
than four times higher -- 16.4% -- for owner-administered shots.
Among ferrets vaccinated by veterinarians, such reactions were
reported in 1% of FROMM-D injections and 5.6% of FERVAC-D
injections.
Roger Brady, director of sales and marketing for Wisconsin-based
United Vaccines Inc., maker of FERVAC-D and other animal
vaccines, says the ferret product meets government safety
standards and the company has received few reports of serious
reactions--only 4 per 10,000 doses sold. He emphasized that "the
important thing is that FERVAC-D does protect ferrets from
distemper, and without vaccination a ferret that gets distemper
will die." The United Vaccine spokesman said that veterinarians
have a moral obligation "by their conscience and their oath" to
use the licensed product.
According to Brady, the company does not consider transient
stinging, screaming, or lethargy as "adverse reactions" but only
"temporary discomfort." However, he said United will soon come
out with a modified version, already approved by the US
Department of Agriculture, designed to end the stinging. He
added that some injection sites, such as the ferret's neck, may
be more likely to irritate a sensitive spot than other sites such
as under the arm or between the shoulder blades.
The company spokesman, who was provided copies of the raw data
obtained in the survey, also pointed out that veterinarians might
not agree with some of the assessments of reactions reported by
non-DVM survey respondents. He said the company maintains a
toll-free number, 1-800-283-6465, which anyone may call to report
reactions to FERVAC-D.
Dr. Jim Walsh, a veterinarian with the professional services
division of Minnesota-based Solvay Animal Health Inc., maker of
FROMM-D, confirmed that his company's product has never been
tested for ferrets. However, he added that in the 12 years he
has worked for the company he has never heard a report of a
ferret having a fatal reaction to the product. Though the
product is designed for dogs, it is also used to protect the
majority of animals in US zoos from distemper, he said.
Asked whether Solvay would consider going through the USDA
testing and approval process to get FROMM-D licensed for ferrets,
Walsh said no. "Research dollars are limited, and we have more
important things to do."
Dr. David E. Starling, DVM, with USDA's Veterinary Biologics
Field Operations office in Ames, Iowa, is the biologics
specialist who investigated the report of the ferret fatality
last summer. Starling said in an interview with the VOICE that
USDA plans to "continue monitoring this product" but for now
still considers FERVAC-D safe when used as directed. He also
confirmed that the government is "out of the picture" when it
comes to tracking effects of FROMM-D on ferrets, for which it is
not licensed.
Starling noted that anaphylaxis occurs too infrequently to show
up at all in pre-license testing of animal vaccines, so its
incidence can only be monitored afterward via consumer and
veterinarian reports. For example, whereas 300 ferrets were
"challenge tested" by United to get FERVAC-D licensed with no
major reactions reported, the deadly shock reaction might show
up in fewer than 1 per 5,000 injections on average. He added
that "each serial (lot) of the product has been tested prior to
marketing for purity, safety and potency."
The USDA official said that after Ms. Sandra Zuras of Manassas,
Virginia reported to him her ferret's anaphylactic death from
FERVAC-D, he reviewed the information United Vaccines is required
to keep on file about reported reactions, discussed the incident
with Mrs. Zuras's veterinarian, and reviewed reports from
"various sources" in the ferret owning community.
According to Pam Grant of STAR ferrets, Dr. Starling telephoned
her on August 23 to discuss the vaccine survey and she acquainted
him orally with the responses reported above. Subsequently VBFO
was provided with copies of the raw data, which Starling said he
has seen but not analyzed.
"The greatest problem found in my review has been a transient
postvaccinal stinging at the injection site. The animals usually
create quite a stir with their vocalization in the first few
moments after being vaccinated. The company is aware of this
problem and is taking corrective action," he wrote to Ms. Zuras.
"This does not discredit the fact that an anaphylactic reaction
took the life of your ferret," he added in the letter.
Starling says VBFO continues to welcome all reports of reactions
to the vaccine but urged consumers to provide the same
information to the manufacturer. The VBFO can be contacted at
(515)-232-5785.
Ms. Zuras said that Desiree, the ferret who died, was among six
of her ferrets who received the vaccine that day, and all of them
"acted like it hurt them." To all appearances a healthy ferret
before vaccination, Desiree at first showed no signs of
anaphylactic reaction, but "when we got her home in half an hour
and took her out, she looked like she was in a coma. We drove
right back."
According to Ms. Zuras, Desiree at first appeared to respond to
treatment, but suffered a relapse later in the day . "She
started twitching, making noise like she was in pain. Her
abdomen was turning black and swollen, she was suffering
horribly." Ms. Zuras rushed her to a local emergency veterinary
clinic, but "by the time we got there she was gone."
"I called United Vaccines to report the death to Roger Brady,"
Ms. Zuras recalls. "He denied anyone had ever reported stinging
at injection site or anaphylaxis. Later in the conversation he
admitted there had been stinging reactions reported, but only
after I told him I already knew about it."
An anaphylactic reaction was reported in August by breeder
Kathleen Cheeseman, owner of Dancing Bottom Ferrets, who like
many other breeders administers her own injections. The
reaction occurred to a 1-1/2 year old whole male in season who on
previous occasions suffered no reaction to either FERVAC-D or
FROMM-D.
"Bear started out throwing up, then went into convulsions,
clawing at his mouth, lost bowel control, and, then started to go
comatose. When we got him to the vet, he let out a bowel
movement with blood. It was about as serious a reaction as you
can get without death," Ms. Cheeseman said.
Despite the harrowing experience, Ms. Cheeseman said she intends
to keep on using FERVAC-D, because "it's important to support the
companies that do the research" to get veterinary products
licensed for ferrets. The Virginia-based breeder said she got a
"very good response" when she discussed the incident with Mr.
Brady of United and considers Bear's reaction "just a fluke."
But she advises everyone doing their own vaccinating to "make
sure their veterinarian is available before they vaccinate with
either product."
Ohio breeder Linda Harrah is less sympathetic to United. Ms.
Harrah, who said she vaccinates "several hundred ferrets a year,"
reported that in September 1992 a 5-month-old jill whom she
vaccinated for a friend "immediately went into anaphylactic
shock" and "would have died if a vet hadn't been close."
"I reported the ferret that went into shock to United the next
morning," she writes. "The person I spoke with said someone from
the company would get back with me later that week. I never heard
another thing from them."
An increasing number of veterinarians believe the risk of an
adverse reaction to any animal vaccine increases with the
frequency of booster shots. Dr. Starling, the USDA biologics
specialist, said on the basis of his own personal practice that
it "could be the case" that frequent revaccination with a vaccine
product would increase susceptibility .
Dr. Lisa Chambreau, DVM, writes in a study recently prepared for
Baltimore Ferret Friends that vaccinating ferrets for distemper,
if continued beyond the stage of kit injections, causes a
"predisposition to other problems of overall ill health for all of them,
e.g. tumors, diabetes, skin problems, appetite problems, Cushing's
disease, etc." Especially important, she added, "is the effect of
vaccinating on making the animal susceptible to opportunistic
infections like the green diarrhea."
[Posted in FML issue 0718]
|
