In a message dated 96-08-01 06:53:43 EDT, Bill Williamson writes:
>        This lady has got to be nuts, what triggered this ??????
 
I am not sure, but it appears she was somewhat upset about the HSUS backing
mandatory observation periods in cases where the ferret has been vaccinated
and there was little risk of exposure.
 
In a letter to me dated July 10 (full text on the Web at
http://members.gnn.com/AcmeFerret/lifepage/jenkins.htm) she wrote, inter
alia:
 
"Because we know that ferrets can acquire rabies, but their viral shedding
period prior to onset of signs has not been defined, many public health
officials do not feel comfortable prescribing a period of confinement and
observation that may leave bite victims at risk for acquiring the disease.
The closer to the time of exposure that rabies postexposure treatment is
initiated, the better the chances of protecting the bitten person.  For
these reasons, the rationale for a policy that allows for a period of
confinement and observation of ferrets that have bitten is unclear to me.  I
have spoken to one of the authors of the "Statement on Ferrets as Companion
Animals" from the Humane Society of the United States and expressed my
concern that their change in recommendations may have been premature given
that studies on ferret viral shedding are pending."
 
She further stated that, "Although an animal that has been vaccinated
against rabies and lacks a history of exposure to rabid animals is unlikely
to be infected with rabies, such a scenario does not totally eliiminate the
possibility of the disease in the animal.  Therefore, well vaccinated dogs
and cats that bite a person are confined and observed for ten days to
provide assurance that the animal was not shedding rabies virus when it bit
and to allow for timely administration of the postexposure treatment to the
bitten person.  Unfortunately, we do not know how long to confine and
observe a ferret to give the same assurance."
 
She also argued that even a complete history of being kept indoors was no
guarantee that a ferret has not somehow been exposed to rabies: "In some
cases a bat had been seen in the bedroom, but no wound was apparent.
Animals are not able to tell us whether they were in the same room with, or
had contact with, a bat.  Another example has to do with one of the rabid
ferrets from Washington, DC.  The ferret lived in an apartment and was
reportedly never outdoors.  Even after the diagnosis of rabies had been
made, the owner insisted hte animal had never been outdoors.  Finally, a
history of having been taken to another ferret to be bred was elicited.  The
ferret to which it was bred was an indoor/outdoor animal and had disappeared
shortly after the breeding so was not available for observation or rabies
testing."
 
In a subsequent telephone conversation late last week, Dr. Jenkins advised
me that there had not been a case of rabies in a human in Virginia since
1953, "and I don't want it to happen on my watch."
 
Since then I have been given to understand that something over 2 dozen state
veterinarians have contacted the HSUS to "object to" their rabies policy.
I have a hard time believing this is coincidence, when Jenkins is the
chairperson of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians
"Committee." Also, I have heard rumors that she is making an effort to roll
back the New Hampshire observation period law, and making her negative
influence felt in other states too.
 
This "NASPHV Committee" somehow has been given (by God?  who knows?) the
authority to write the annual "Compendium of Animal Rabies Control." Two
individuals from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) sit as "consultants"
on this "Committee," but I do not know whether they have a vote.  It is a
lot of authority to be vested in a two-bit organization (NASPHV) that does
not even have a post office box to its name!
 
For those who may want to write to the CDC consultants to express their
unhappiness with the direction Jenkins is leading, I have some names and
addresses:
 
Charles E. Rupprecht, VMD, PhD
Building 15 Clifton Campus, CDC
1600 Clifton Rd. G-13
Atlanta GA 30333
 
James E. Childs, ScD - same address.
 
The other members of the committee are:
Keith A. Clark, DVM, PhD
John G. Debbie, MS, DVM
Russell J. Martin, DVM, MPH
Grayson B. Miller Jr. MD
F.T. Satalowich, DVM, MSPH
and
Faye E. Sorhage, VMD, MPH.
 
However, no separate addresses were given for these persons in the
Compendium, which requests that all correspondence be addressed to: - yes -
 
Suzanne R. Jenkins, VMD, MPH
Virginia Department of Health
Office of Epidemiology
P.O. Box 2448
Richmond, VA 23218.
 
For those interested in writing to the American Veterinary Medical
Association, the president is
Mary Beth Leininger DVM
1931 N Meacham Rd.
Schaumberg IL 60173-4360
 
and the executive v-p is
Bruce W. Little DVM.
 
For the HSUS, correspondence may be addressed to
Martha Armstrong, Vice President for Companion Animals
Humane Society of the United States
2100 L Street NW
Washington DC 20037
 
A final word: In Jenkins's cover letter to the 1996 Compendium, she
discussed the current status of the shedding studies, and said:
 
"The Compendium committee, in consultation with the researchers, had
previously agreed to a protocol that would include six strains of rabies
virus administered at various dilutions.  Unfortunately, limited resources
have dictated that the project start with just one virus strain... of 54
animals that were innoculated with virus, 37 developed rabies, but none had
detectable virus in the salive.  One ferret had positive salivary glands...
In order to adequately protect the public, the current studies need to be
completed before any changes in ferret rabies control recommendations can be
considered.  Because the majority of rabid ferrets have been reported from
the raccoon rabies rea, the Compendium committee recommended that the
raccoon strain of rabies virus be used in the next stage of the study."
[Posted in FML issue 1650]