from Dayna:
>Suki says one shelter has reported 15 dead so far to this new illness..
>and it would seem any fuzzy over 2 is a dead fuzzy with this..  so with
>rare exception this place is closed to all human traffic and to all ferret
>traffic they go onto full quarantine for 60 days..  I have the center
>bedroom a mess but can rig it in about two short minutes if I need to..
>this stuff is scary viscious fast and deadly!
 
Quarantine areas are excellent proceduure for any shelter at any time; when
needed there's nothing which will do what they do.
 
I will say again, though, that we do NOT know if what is being seen is one
illness or multiple illnesses, nor do we know if these cases comprise
anything new.  Some might be something long known but often not looked for
such as one of the parvos (Aleutian Disease, Mink Enteritis, etc.), or some
might be something which has been known for some time but has modified
itself to be harder to diagnose or to treat (such a tougher coccidea), or
we might be seeing something completely new.  Right now there are as many
POSSIBLE CAUSES as anyone can just about imagine so we have to have
necropsy after necropsy till patterns are seen and mysteries answered.
That's the only way we'll have any actual answers.
 
Also, NO work has been done that I know of which has looked at the AGES of
the ferrets affected; indeed, my impression has been that most age groups
are represented though I do not know if this is true, and I could be wrong.
It is not a question I have asked the participants who are discussing this,
having assumed that if they saw any age pattern they would have mentioned
it.  All we do know is that multiple locations have met with something
which kills most of the ferrets which get it so taking precautions is a
logical step; the inconvenience can be greatly offset by the lives saved if
a serious illness comes your way.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2438]