I just talked to the State Virologist (sp?) for Alaska.  Their policy
concerning rabies is kill and test, no quarantine, no nothing.  If a bite
occurs, kill and test; don't take into account the animal's health or
vaccination record, kill and test.
 
Apparently, they rely on the Veterinary Compendium (the Virologist just kept
referring to it as "The Compendium") to determine what to do with ferrets.
He said the Compendium currently recommends kill and test.  He also said
that vaccination is no proof against rabies.  He said that since there had
been "many cases of a ferret attacking babies and small children, ferrets
were a cause for concern in Alaska." I asked him if he could give me some
numbers on the "many" cases and he said no, that he couldn't remember how
many cases there were of ferrets attacking babies or children.  He also said
that he thought the problems were with the people who owned the ferrets and
not the ferrets themselves.  He believed that educating people about how to
take care of ferrets and what to expect of them would be very beneficial.
 
Anyway, he also believes that the October edition of The Compendium would
have new information about ferrets and rabies along with recommendations for
quarantine periods, etc.
 
My veterinarian here in Eugene, OR said that there is a new rabies test from
France that tests serum for antibodies and that the test is being used in
Hawaii, the state with the strictest requirements for animals in the United
States.  This test does not require brain tissue, therefore, the animal does
not have to be killed to be tested.  If Hawaii is using this test, maybe it
should be recommended everywhere.
 
On the subject of a national ferret organization, count me in!  I'll be in
Alaska for two years, but will be very happy to do what I can from there.
While I think there may be many, many more qualified people to serve, so
many don't have the time to put into something like this.  I'll have plenty
of time, especially in the winter!  I do desktop publishing, so if anything
needs typesetting, I can do that.  I have also done extensive editing on
documents, so if something needs to be proofread, I can do that as well.
 
So, if you need me, just e-mail me and I'll do what I can!
 
Melanee Ellis
The Ferret Lady
Eugene, OR (till June 26)
Juneau, AK (after June 26)
[Posted in FML issue 1977]