Hi Y'all
 
There have been a few postings in SoCacaland in the local paper (Orange
County Register) about ferrets and the flu.  The first (1-21-2000) was
favorable, just says they can catch/carry the flu, which is better than
dog rabies.
 
The second (written 1-16-2000 by Jeff Kramer [log in to unmask]
(714) 797-7990) vollies the little fuzzies back and forth between good and
evil by first making them sound akin to disease laden cockroaches and then
saying they're not that bad.  It takes an innocent press release by a local
vet (Dr. Bruce S.  Levine, Tustin, Ca) and sarcastically incites fear into
anti-ferret /ferret-ignorant groups.  He takes Dr. Levine's quote "While
the family dog and cat may be immune, the ferret is highly susceptible to
the human influenza virus.  In our veterinary practice, we have been seeing
an increasing number of affected ferrets in the last few months, coinciding
with the current flue epidemic.  Ferret to human transmission is possible
but rare since most ferrets do not travel much between households" That's
fine.  But ignorant Kramer has to add on "At the risk of inciting mass
panic ... none of us knows the extent to which ferrts travel between
households, or anywhere else.  I mean, they're FERRETS!  ... one could be
tunneling through my sinuses right now, infecting me with some mutant
strain of millennial death flu."  Then he has to make some stupid joke
about a vet telling a man with ferret flu to eat 2 rats and call him in
the morning.  As if that's not enough, here's his advice on what to do if
you or your fuzzy gets the flu
"Step 1 - Bundle up when stalking live poultry,
Step 2 - Don't let a flu-infected ferret lick your face.  That was Dr.
Levine's suggestion.  Other wise, it's perfectly OK to let a ferret lick
your face.  Yep.  Nothing wrong that.  No, siree"
(I wonder if he has a dog that licks him)  He goes on to describe a pair
of ferrets he met at the vet's office "See how cute the weasels - I means
ferrets - are.  See Soco scaling my neck and trying to nest on my head.
See Bandit looking at me with those cute lttle weasel eyes and baring
those cute little weasel fangs... Get that damn wolverine off my head!"
In conclusion he says he's not showing any symptoms of "ferret flu".  To
bad.  I think Jeff should be nominated for the "Flying Fickle Ferret of
Fate Award" under the Ingoramous category.
 
[WP]
[Posted in FML issue 2936]