Thanks <MiskaBC> for the post of the abstract of the ferret shedding study
of the bat rabies.  I think that this was the data that many of us were
waiting for.  Now the Boogie Man Story of the rabid bat, who flies
unobserved into our houses, bites our sleeping ferrets and sneaks out again,
should have been put to rest.  There is no asymptomatic shedding of the bat
rabies virus.  Of the two virus types tested, the Brown Bat and the
Brazilian Free Tailed Bat, the virus was found in the saliva of only one
ferret; that one infected with the Brown Bat virus; AND that ferret was
exhibiting symptoms of rabies when the virus appeared in the saliva.
 
So, to date, we have results using the following rabies virus variants:
 
     Skunk - no shedding
     Raccoon - shedding 2-3 days prior to outset of symptoms
     Brown Bat - shedding coincident with symptoms
     Brazilian Free Tail Bat - no shedding
     Fox (European) - no shedding
     Vole (European) - no shedding
 
Do you see a trend here?
 
Since Public Health is concerned with the potential for human exposure from
a ferret bite, the normal 10 day quarantine now granted to dogs and cats
WILL provide adequate protection in the event of a bite by a ferret.  As
long as the ferret is observed and shows no symptoms within the 10 days,
Public Health can be assured that the ferret was not capable of passing on
rabies at the time of the bite.
 
Let's now hope that the NASPHV Compendium Committee which meets in November
finally accepts the data and recommends a quarantine for ferrets.  It's time
to stop the unnecessary and unjustified killing of ferrets for rabies
testing.
 
     Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 2103]