Here's an interesting (and potentially devasting) question: are humans
commonly allergic to ferrets?  My girlfriend and I bought our first ferret
2 months ago, and for the first month had absolutely no problems.  She
handled it constantly and had no apparent reaction.  We also have
indoor/outdoor cats, and have to do some routine flea control, so when we
noticed that the Weasel was beginning to acquire fleas, we began adding a
_weak_ solution of pyrethrins to his bath water.  We also treat the
carpets every spring with pyrethrins and flea juvenile hormone analog.  On
the day following the first bath, Karen (the girlfriend) developed a
swelling and rash under one of her eyes, which has steadily worsened over
the last month and now looks NASTY.  After 10 days or so, the other eye
developed similar symptoms and her lips became swollen and chronically
chapped.
 
Initially, she assumed that she was allergic to the ferret and stopped
handling him, or washing her hands after handling him, and used some
topical cortisone ointment on the affected area, which began to heal, but
then worsened again.  Her doctor confirmed that it is an allergic reaction
to _something_, and is treating it as such, but it is apparent that she is
still exposed to whatever is entering her system (presumably by going into
solution on the wet surface of her eyes).  As I said, the symptoms are not
pretty and are painful as well.
 
Our guess is that the two prime candidates are the Weasel and the
pyrethrin insecticide, but both possiblities seem odd.  Karen and I have
both owned cats for years, and although I have some minor respiratory
reactions to them (thank God for Seldane...) Karen has _never_ had any
previous allergies to any animals, as far as she knows.  And since our
cats go in and out freely, she has undergone periodic exposure to
pyrethrins for several years as well, with no ill effects.  The sudden
and violent nature of the reaction, with no apparent conditioning period,
or at least none with lessor symptoms, also strikes us as odd, more like
a drug reaction than a pet allergy-- except that it is prolonged,
probably by constant exposure to whatever she is reacting to.
 
We no longer add pyrethrin flea dip to the ferret's bath water, but have
substituted a regular flea shampoo that we rinse out thoroughly to ensure
that there is no residual on the Weasel's fur, and Karen is undergoing
systemic anti-histamine and topical anti-inflammatory treatment, with some
early improvement in her eyes, but the larger question remains.  We have
already treated the carpets this year, however.  We would like to add to
our ferret family, but can't until we figure out whether Karen is allergic
to them.  Has anyone else ever had (or heard of) a similar experience?
 
Puzzled in Georgia....
 
Michael Camann                  [log in to unmask]
Department of Entomology        [log in to unmask]
University of Georgia           (706) 542-2303 voice
Athens, GA 30602                (706) 542-2640 FAX
[Posted in FML issue 1204]