Actually, there have been vaccine-caused cases of rabies in ferrets.
These were before the approval of Imrab-3, and were due to live vaccine.
I have a copy of an article from the newsletter "The Weasel Help Monthly,"
Nov/Dec '91.  It lists the 13 confirmed cases of rabies in ferrets from
the Centers for Disease Control between 1958 and 1987.  Two are linked to
live vaccine; 8 are of unknown source.
 
I do not know if there are live rabies vaccines that are used.  However,
all vaccines listed in the NASPHV's Compendium of Animal Rabies Control
(1994) are designated as "inactive" at the top of the page and within the
guidelines (where it is noted an inoculated human will be at no risk),
leading me to believe all of the recommended vaccines are killed.  (Side
note: did you know there are 20 different rabies vaccines out there?)
 
Someone asked earlier why ferrets have to be vaccinated yearly against
rabies, while dogs and cats using Imrab-3 only need it every 3 years.
The reason for it that I heard was that there wasn't sufficient funding
to test its long-term effectiveness on ferrets.  There might also have
been a rush to get it to market after their testing had finished.
 
On the topic of rabies virus shedding time tests, I'm sad that those
ferrets have to go through this, but perhaps it will save people's pet
ferrets if they nip someone.  I hope that this will convince states to
allow quarantine periods for ferrets.  This is the official reason
given by Minneapolis, MN for why they claim ferrets aren't legal there.
 There is nothing in their animal control regulations about needing US
shedding time studies, however.  I'm cynical enough to believe that
they will either claim that this is not enough information, or that
they will fall back on the use of forbidding "wild or wild by nature"
animals as pets.
 
Keep fighting for ferrets!
 
Denise (plus Rocko and Randall, 1 yr old MF sable males)
--
/\\    ____  ,^-o, Denise Voskuil - [log in to unmask]
  ``-,'    `-';~~     Brain: "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
    .',-'~`../'       Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but if we didn't have
     `^^    `^^         ears we'd look like weasels." ("Animaniacs")
"Ferrets are kittens with leather jackets and no fear!" -John Reed
[Posted in FML issue 1232]