To Charles Trammell:
 
Sorry 0 I have missed a couple of FML's as I've had some mail problems.
Coming back online -caught Charles' post -
 
>I've read the post that ECE is (currently) not airborn.  I've also read a
>post that suggested intentional exposure of ferrets to ECE at a time when
>they would be better equipped to survive it.  Now I may just be paranoid
>(from watching the movie "Outbreak"), but isn't it true that each carrier
>of a virus provides a new possibility for that virus to mutate.  What if
>one of those ferrets which is intentionally exposed is carrying the
>catylist (sp?) which would cause ECE to mutate and BECOME airborn.
 
OK - there's a couple of points here.  ECE, which is most likely a
coronavirus, but may be one of a small group of related viruses, or possibly
a rotavirus, is not airborne.  The coronaviruses are not airborne viruses,
but generally extremely contagious viruses which are propagated through
fecal-oral routes.  This is the nature of coronaviruses.  Second, if you
intentionally infect your animals, you are spreading this virus around -
maybe with the best of intentions, but that will be little comfort to
animals who will contract it from yours (always under the most unusual of
circumstances - "Gee, I never thought that would happen.") People in the
breeding/rescue business have ABSOLUTELY no business infecting their
animals...
 
Forget about "Outbreak" - there are just too many absurdities to even try to
relay it to real life.  It's like when JAWS came out - no one wanted to swim
in the ocean, although the chance of a shark biting you are thousands to
one....
 
Coronaviruses do not have a predilection to mutate, like other viruses -
especially the influenza virus.  It would probably take hundreds of years
for a stable airborne virus to develop - I can't think of any airborne
coronaviruses...
 
>It's just my opinion ( and I'm not trying to flame anyone), but if this
>scenario is remotely close to reality, then intentionally exposing you
>fuzzies could potentially effect the ferret world as we know it.
 
It won't affect the world, but it would likely affect your friends and other
ferrets in your area.  Only extremely efficient sanitary procedures can
prevent the spread of this disease, even under the best of conditions.....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
Dept. of Veterinary Pathology               [log in to unmask]
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1681]