I don't know if anyone has posted this, but I thought I would.  It seems
that the thank you letters to Senator Dingell payed off because here's some
action going on in the senate of Michigan.  It still sounds like the law
part may be a ways off, but at least its a step in the right direction.
 
>[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>Here is the latest information regarding any and all ferret legislation in
 the State of Michigan that Senator Dingell has been working on....
>
>1.  Press Release attached from June 19th.
>2.  Senate Resolution 72.  It has been referred to the Committee on
>    Government Operations.  The chairman of that committee is Senator Bill
>    Bullard, Jr.
>3.  Senate Bill 616 has been introduced and referred to the Committee on
>    Agriculture and Forestry.  The chairman of that committee is Senator
>    Walter North.
>***************************************************************************
> Senator Bill Bullard, Jr.                          Senator Walter North
> PO Box 30036                                       PO Box 30036
> Lansing, MI   48909-7536                      Lansing, MI   48909-7536
> (517)373-1758                                      (517)373-2413
> [log in to unmask]         [log in to unmask]
>
>***************************************************************************
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> June 19, 1997
>
> CONTACT:        State Senator Christopher Dingell
>                 (517) 373-7800
>
>         DINGELL CALLS FOR SCIENTIFIC FACTS BEFORE DESTROYING FERRETS
>
(LANSING)-----Democratic state Senator Christopher Dingell today introduced
>legislation calling on Michigan to examine scientific facts before
>destroying beloved family pets.
>
>The Dingell legislation would require the same rabies quarantine procedures
>for ferrets as apply to dogs, and would require ferret owners have proof of
>rabies vaccinations.
>
>*It*s time that the state Departments of Agriculture and Community Health
>update their procedures for quarantining ferrets in cases where they have
>bit someone,* said Dingell.  *This is a domestic animal.  It is a developed
>species and depends on mankind for its continued survival.*
>
>Today, there are an estimated 10-12 million ferrets in the U.S., making them
>the third most popular companion animal in the country.  Most animals get
>quarantined when there is a question of rabies.  Instead, Michigan*s policy
>is to kill ferrets and examine their brains for the disease.  Dingell*s
>legislation is aimed at ending the killings whenever possible while still
>protecting public health.
 
>The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) does not know the waiting period
>needed to find out whether ferrets, horses and many other species have
>rabies.  The CDC has recommended in all cases of bites to humans that an
>individualized inquiry be made.  For ferrets, this seems to always result in
>an order to kill the ferret.  For unexplained reasons, the CDC does not
>order horses to be killed.
>
>*I have introduced this legislation to get the Michigan Departments of
>Agriculture and Community Health to enlighten their views on ferret
>quarantine policies,* said Dingell (D-Trenton).  *The state needs to treat
>ferrets and their many owners with fairness and sympathy and to realize
>their place next to canine and feline pets in many Michigan families.*
>
> Senate Journal No. 56
> Page 983
> June 25, 1997
>
>Senator Dingell offered the following resolution:
>Senate Resolution No. 72
>A resolution urging the Departments of Agriculture and Community Health to
>update their standards for which ferret bites and rabies risk are assessed
>and act affirmatively to achieve clemency for Kodo, a ferret being executed
>on Monday June 9,1997, due to an innocent incidence of recent happening.
>
>        Whereas, Kodo the ferret has been the catalyst for a movement
>towards changing out-dated and incorrect rules concerning the treatment of
>ferrets as pets in our state.  The Domestic Ferret is believed to have been
>first domesticated approximately 2500 years ago.  Ferrets are a developed
>species and depends on mankind for its continued survival; and
>
>         Whereas, The domestic ferret arrived in the Americas in the first
>sailing ships and around the turn of the century they were bred for their
>fur and rodent control in ships, barns and silos.  Ferrets did not disappear
>with the ban and proved their usefulness during WWII by running wires
>through conduits in the large bombers.  In fact they are still used to run
>fiber optic strands in long, twisting conduits; and
>
>         Whereas, Ferrets as pets began to rise in popularity in the 1970's.
>In those states where ferret ownership was restricted, sentiment began to
>grow toward easing or eliminating ownership restrictions.  Today there are
>an estimated 10 - 12 million ferrets in the United States making them the
>third most popular companion animal in the country; and
>
>         Whereas, For ferrets, horses, and a number of other species, the
>Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has, expressed uncertainty in the past, as
>to the period between rabies infection and the animal beginning to shed the
>virus.  The CDC has recommended in all cases of bites that an individualized
>inquiry be made.  For ferrets, this seems to always result in an order to
>kill the ferret.  For unexplained reasons, horses are not so treated; and
>
>         Whereas, In February 1990, the first rabies vaccine was approved by
>the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use on ferrets.  Rone Merieux, the
>IMRAB-3, was shown to be at least 94.4% effective in preventing rabies in
>ferrets for up to one year following vaccination.  This was verified through
>testing 90 ferrets, 3 times the number of animals required by the USDA.  The
>vaccine has a proven effectiveness greater than 86.7%, the number required
>for dogs; and
>
>         Whereas, 3 distinct studies have been done by U.  Forster at the
>Paul Erilich Institute in Germany; J.  Blancou, M.  Aubert, and M.  Artois
>the French National Institute for the Study of Rabies; and J.F.  Bell of the
>United States.  All these studies show a mean-time from onset of the
>symptoms, until death of 4.2 days, with a maximum of 7 days.  These studies
>on three different rabies strains show that the ferret does not typically
>shed the virus; and
>
>         Whereas, The cities of Saint Paul and St. Lewis Park, Minnesota
>require only that the ferret be examined by a veterinarian familiar with
>small animals.  If the ferret is found to be healthy, vaccinated or
>unvaccinated, it is released back to its owner.  A conservative approach to
>establishing a quarantine would be to consider *death* as an easily
>recognized symptom of rabies, and to establish the quarantine period at 7
>days.  This is the maximum time, from the initial onset of symptoms
>
>         Whereas, In light of these recent studies on shedding periods in
>ferrets and past studies regarding this issue, the Massachusetts Department
>of Public Health has changed their kill and test policy and created a 10
>day quarantine period for ferrets recommended for most domestic ferret
>circumstances; and
>
>         Whereas, The quarantine period is not meant to prove that the
>animal does not have the rabies virus; just that it was not capable of
>passing on the disease at the time of the bite.  An animal cannot pass on
>the virus until the virus is secreted by the salivary glands during the
>final stages of the disease; now, therefore, be it
>
>         Resolved by the Senate, That the Michigan Departments of
Agriculture and Community Health enlighten their views on ferret quarantine
policies or the lack thereof, to make recommendations similar to those of
the State of Massachusetts and to treat ferrets and their many owners with
fairness and sympathy.  The departments are also requested to realize the
ferret*s place next to the canine and feline friends in our Michigan
families; and be it further
 
>        Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Robert
> Jacobs, Kodo*s owner, as a symbol of our common cause.
>
>Pursuant to rule 3.204, the resolution was referred to the Committee on
>Government Operations.
>Senators Young, Stallings, Conroy and Gougeon were named co-sponsors of the
>resolution.
>
>
>SB 616
>
>Animals; domestic; ferrets; require same rabies quarantine procedure as
>applies to dogs.
>
>ANIMALS: Domestic
>
>        A bill to amend 1994 PA 358, entitled
>
>*An act to regulate the possession of ferrets; to provide for the licensing
>of ferrets; to provide for requirements for importation and rabies control
>procedures for ferrets; to provide for the powers and duties of certain
>governmental entities; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to
> repeal acts and parts of acts,*
>
>by amending section 2 (MCL 287.892)
>
>THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
>
>    Sec.  2.  (1) A person shall not own or harbor a ferret over 12 weeks of
>age unless the ferret has a current vaccination against rabies with an
>approved rabies vaccine administered by a veterinarian, except that rabies
>vaccinations are not required for research ferrets kept at research
>facilities registered pursuant to the public health code, 1978 PA 368.
>MCL 333.25211.
>    (2) A person who owns or harbors a ferret that has bitten, scratched,
>caused abrasions or contaminated with saliva or other infectious material an
>open wound or mucous membrane of a human being shall report the incident
>within 48 hours to the county health department.
>    (3) A person who owns or harbors a ferret that has potentially exposed a
>person or other animal to rabies by biting, scratching, causing abrasions,
>or contaminating open wounds or mucous membranes with saliva or other
>infectious material shall handle the ferret AS FOLLOWS:
>       (A) IN accordance with current published guidelines of the centers of
>disease control and prevention IF THE FERRET, AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT,
>WAS NOT VACCINATED AS REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (1).
>       (B) IN THE SAME MANNER AS REQUIRED FOR A DOG THAT HAS A CURRENT
>VACCINATION AGAINST RABIES WHEN THE DOG BITES A HUMAN BEING, IF THE FERRET,
>AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WAS VACCINATED AS REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION(1).
>    (4) THE DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH, OR A CITY,
>COUNTY, OR DISTRICT HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHALL NOT REQUIRE EITHER OF THE
>FOLLOWING WITH RESPECT TO A FERRET DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (3) (B):
>       (A) THAT THE FERRET BE EUTHANIZED AND TESTED FOR RABIES, UNLESS THIS
>PROCEDURE IS REQUIRED FOR A DOG THAT HAS A CURRENT VACCINATION AGAINST
>RABIES WHEN THE DOG BITES A HUMAN BEING.
>       (B) SUBJECT TO SECTION 7, THAT THE FERRET BE QUARANTINED FOR A PERIOD
>LONGER THAN THE QUARANTINE PERIOD FOR A DOG THAT HAS A CURRENT RABIES
>VACCINATION WHEN THE DOG BITES A HUMAN BEING.
>    (5) A person who owns or harbors a ferret shall produce proof of a valid
>rabies certificate signed by a veterinarian for the ferret upon request of a
>law enforcement agent or animal control officer or the director.
>
> ***************************************************************************
>If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the
>office.  We will be updating this information periodically.  We do not
>expect any significant action on either the Resolution or the Bill until the
>fall.
 
Mike
web:  http://www.cybrzn.com/~mburkhar
[Posted in FML issue 1989]