SUBMITTED TO IFNS FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT ALTERATION
 
Some of the divisions used in the latest IFNS report create the illusion
that ferrets are unprotected in many states where they are protected..  With
so many state public health vets coming over to our side the LAST thing we
need is to start people flaming at individuals who are becoming our allies
in saving ferrets' lives.  Ferrets are too important for us to undermine
those public officials who are helping them.  I object to scare tactics such
as saying that only 8 states recommend quarantine (and then annoyingly
laying that on my doorstep which anyone who has read the regular reports
here knows to be false).  Remember that there are states which began using
the Compendium recommendations immediately and others began upon publication
(which has now occurred).  As a result among those 33 states which have
replied so far those with state health departments now recommending
quarantine as per the Compendium (or something very similar with perhaps
minor changes such as Connecticut having a 14 day quarantine for any dog,
cat, or ferret which bites) are the following 20 states: Alabama, Colorado,
Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont,
Virginia, West Virginia (in which the local departments have autonomy BY
W.V. STATE LAW so I recommend that local pursue legislation covering
ferrets even though the W.V.  Health Dept.  recommends quarantine),
Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
 
In addition there are states which are currently IN THE PROCESS of moving
toward quarantine times but WHICH BY THEIR STATE LAWS MUST FOLLOW SET
PROCEDURES BEFORE ESTABLISHING A CHANGE IN RABIES POLICY.  SOME OF THESE
ALREADY HAVE QUARANTINE TIMES IN PLACE FOR VACCINATED FERRETS.  These 7 are:
Indiana, Kansas, Lousiana, New Hampshire, New York (which was expecting the
procedures to be done about now so they may already have a firm quarantine
time in place), North Carolina, and Texas.  The longest times frame any of
these were expecting was possibly for New Hampshire's unvaccinated ferrets
(Vaccinated ones are currently protected there.), the next longest was in
July of this year, and most are expected to be in place by Spring.  That's
not bad, at all.  These people HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR OWN LAWS ON HOW CHANGES
ARE MADE; it's that simple.  The ones who replied were not negative about
ferrets, one was so-so but even she expected quarantines to go through.  The
AFA will be following up with these states over the months as will I.
 
There were states which need follow-up work for other reasons.  In some
cases that is because they sent only old policy info.  In some it is because
the questions were never answered.  In two cases important people had not
yet seen the Compendium because my letters went out so rapidly after the
NASPHV conference (though since the Animal Rabies Control Committee sent out
the Compendium last month and it supposed to be published this month in
JAVMA they will have seen it by now).  What was received from this minority
was not all bad, though, because a few of the states in this group already
had quarantines in place for vaccinated ferrets.  The states in this groups
were: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois (which according to an
informal report has quarantine), Nebraska, and Rhode Island.  Diane Rogers
already has been contacting these states and their officials for the AFA.
 
The rest of the states and the territories have not yet sent me anything
formal for MAF, but I have heard from ferret owners who have reported that
Michigan and some others have gone to quarantine, and that New Mexico has a
situation like that of West Virginia.
 
I am seriously considering removing IFNS from the list of ferret
organizations which receive the reports directly from me.  Yes, they can
still read the FML and get the info from here since I don't want anyone
deprived of information, but I am sorely miffed to find this misuse of what
is a very positive shift in the favor of ferrets.  Guess it feels too
"tabloid" to me and I don't like my name attached to misrepresentation of my
data.
 
I do agree with their warnings that people should not assume that all states
are automatically observing the Compendium, that local departments may still
be unaware of any changes, that all precautions should be taken to not place
ferrets in danger of exposure, and other logical reactions are warranted.
Panic and anger (in most cases) are not.  Yep, I'm a bit miffed.
[Posted in FML issue 2184]