Dr. Williams,
 
A couple of questions.
 
I know so little about how State Labs test for rabies, that I'm
dangerous.  I have read that they do a test on the brain tissue using a
fluorescent-dye antibody test or something like that.  I assume that they
use some chemical that bonds to the antibodies produced by the body to
fight off the virus, and that this chemical fluoresces under UV light?
(But, I would imagine that this would also happen if the animal had been
properly vaccinated for rabies.)  So,then I suspect that if they get a
"positive" result with the dye test that they would process part of the
brain and inject a filtered solution of this into mice(?) then, after a
suitable time, sacrifice the mice and do the fluorescent dye test on the
mice brains?  (I'm doing a lot of extrapolation on very limited
information.)
 
Could you please comment on this, and if my assumptions of a two-part
test is correct do you know if States do both parts every time?  Of
course what I'm wondering about is false "positives" being reported to
the CDC and getting into the statistics on rabies in ferrets.
 
Second, we have ferret that we adopted out about 7 months ago (we run a
small shelter here in NH).  The people called a little while ago in a
panic.  Their ferret had developed two "large" lumps on either side of
its neck and one on the lower throat. The ones on the sides of the neck
have gotten smaller.  It is lethargic.  It doesn't eat or drink very
much.  It had first developed these same symptoms about 4 months ago but
it cleared up  then. They've had it to their vet who did two separate
blood tests, X-ray and a barium test. The first blood test done two weeks
ago showed a high-normal white cell count, but the latest one was normal.
The Vet is giving it Baydril - 10 mg every 12 hrs. They have hydrated it,
but don't know what else to do. (We got it to eat Duck Soup tonight.)
Any suggestions? (Sorry, I realize that this isn't much to go on.)
 
Dick Bossart
 
[Posted in FML issue 0789]