Chris,
 
I can tell you almost exactly where NASPHV got their information.  They
published a "Statement on Ferrets" dated 22 April 1994.  Their main source
referenced there is Kizer and Constantine "Pet European Ferrets: A Hazard to
Public Health, Small Livestock and Wildlife."  This was a non-peer reviewed
"story" written by the request of California Department of Health Services.
The authors admitted that they were asked to write a biased report in the
Philidelphia Enquire style that would put ferrets in a bad light.  The NASPHV
"statement' also references articles written by friends of Kizer and
Constantine who, of course, use the C&K story as a reference.  Something like
if I were to write a story about the wild crocodiles in NH and publish it
myself.  My friend Smith would write a technical paper about dangerous
reptiles in NH and reference my article.  Another friend Jones would write
about global warming and reference both my article and Smith's.  I could
write a technical paper referencing Jones and Smith.  Etc.  Pretty soon we'd
be getting visits from the EPA demanding protection of the endangered Crocs
in NH.
 
There is almost no basis in facts to the "statement".  The 400 'attacks" by
ferrets were over a 10 year period and the term attack, never defined (ferret
dance of joy, etc. were considered attacks.) The 63 bites to children (again
over a 10 year period) were, I believe, mostly traced to parental neglect or to
questionable identification of the animal involved.  And you should compare
this to the fact that bites by dogs over the same time frame were occurring at
a rate of 2-3 million per year with 70% of the bites to children under the age
of 10.  [ Sacks, J.  J.  MD; et.  al.; "Dog Bite Fatalities from 1979 Through
1988"; JAMA; Vol 262, No.  11; Sep.  15, 1989' pg 1491.] I could go on and on
(and have more than a few times, Right Bill?) but I think you get the idea.
 
 The data in is garbage so the data out is garbage.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1122]