Thanks to David Les for posting Dr. Johnson's very thorough response to the
question of Michigan Department of Public Health policy on ferret bites.  I
know that we all love our ferrets and it is a tragedy when a loved one dies,
but we should try to keep our perspective regarding this policy.  I have
never seen such a thorough and logical explanation of Michigan's seemingly
cruel policy of immediate killing and testing for rabies of biting ferrets.
 
I want to say first that I think the policy should be modified drastically
if only for the reason that the overwhelming majority of ferrets are never
outdoors without close supervision, and thus at a ridiculously low risk for
ever contracting rabies.  When compounded with the %5 to %10 failure rate of
the vaccine, I really don't think it's worth killing the ferret.
 
However, I myself never understood before why a ferret cannot be quarantined
like a cat or dog.  Scientists have no idea how long a ferret can shed the
rabies virus (or if at all, right?) before it will begin to show symptoms of
rabies.  Thus a ten day quarantine is of no use at all.  And if the animal
has rabies, the diagnosis must be made in a reasonable short time so as to
allow the bite victim to receive the sequence of rabies shots.
 
It seems our best hope of saving ferrets in Michigan from needless rabies
testing is the shedding study now being conducted in Kansas (?Colorado?
Can't remember).  I believe someone said preliminary findings in that study
question that rabies is shed in ferret saliva at all.
 
As for skunks, it is not unreasonable to extrapolate disease behavior from
one related species to another, and skunks are related to ferrets.  What
we're asking the Michigan Department of Public Health to do is impose a
quarantine on ferrets rather than kill-testing based on rabies shedding in
cats and dogs.  Is this not a little more of a stretch than skunks?
 
In conclusion, I am impressed with the level of thought and education that
has gone into the decision.  If we were supposed to find some element of
cruelty or insensitivity in that letter, it was lost on me.  It seems
entirely probable that once the new shedding studies are published, rabies
policies all over the country will change.  Until then, I think it is
reasonable to expect that vaccinated pet ferrets who have not recently
escaped into the great outdoors should not be automatically killed (as the
wise judge in New Jersey had ruled--a pox on the unwise judge).  Also, I
think these incidents should warn us not to let strangers play with our
ferrets unless we are very confident that they will not scratch or bite.  I
have one ferret suitable for public consumption, and two that only play with
family and close friends.  Also, I think people are more willing to have a
ferret killed on the off chance that their CHILD may be at risk than for
themselves.  That's why very very few children are allowed to handle my
ferrets.  A mother will indeed go off the deep end to protect her children.
 
Thanks again for the information, and I'll have my own letter off to
government folks real soon.
 
-Catherine Shaffer
Ann Arbor, MI
[Posted in FML issue 1608]