Hi,
 
I believe a frolic is being held in Seattle this Sunday.  Please be informed
that the ECE, or Green Slimes, Green Mystery Diarrhea, etc., is in this
area.  A doctor in the greater Seattle area confirmed he's had somewhere
between 12-20 cases in the last few months.  I've a call into another
doctor, but haven't heard back.
 
This disease is highly contagious - airborne.  Symptoms include profuse
diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, and possibly death.  The suspected cause
is a virus, but with no agent isolated, obviously there is no vaccination
for it.  Bruce Williams, the pathologist/ferret owner in New York, is doing
research on this illness.
 
I will not under any circumstances go to the frolic, as much as I'd like to.
The disease can be carried on clothing and skin.  You may return to your
loved fuzzies to hold and love them, only to pass on a dreadful illness to
them.  My projection is that many ferrets at the frolics this weekend will
come down with the illness.  These ferrets, in turn, will pass it on to
other ferrets in the area, until we eventually have an epidemic.  Protect
your ferrets and keep them and yourself home.  If you go, remove all
clothing and take a shower before touching anything at home.  If you bring
your fuzzies, there's really nothing you can do to keep them safe, barring,
MAYBE, leaving them in their cages removed from other fuzzies - and what's
the point in that?
 
My number is 938-8183 if you have questions.  Or call the Legion of
Superferrets Club President, Sharon Bowman, (I'm VP), at 838-3321.
 
This post is no joke.  If you go to the frolics and find yourself with one,
two, four, eight, ten, etc.  fuzzies with profuse, techni-color diarrhea,
you'll understand that.  And you'll understand it while you santitize
everything over and over, pay lots of $ to have your fuzzies possibly
hospitalized, feed tons and tons of chicken soup and pedialyte, give oral
antibiotics (or have them injected at great cost), etc., etc.  Especially
older, and/or, sick fuzzies are prone to death from this disease.  And there
can be debilitating/lasting effects for any ferret.
 
Please keep our dear fuzzies home, warm, and safe.
 
Lynn Mc.
[Posted in FML issue 1670]