(CC'd to the FA webmaster and board of directors, I don't have an email
for Pat Wright, not sure if one of those goes to him.  If not would someone
PLEASE forward this to him?  TIA)
[Moderator's note: Pat Wright's response follows.  BIG]
 
In todays FML Melissa Durfee said there was a write up of the CA picnic
incident.  I went to visit the link at
http://www.ferretsanon.com/ferret.htm
and was mortified to see that Pat Wright has included the following
statement in his remarks on the Ferrets Anonymous page.
 
"My ferrets are not vaccinated against rabies because it is almost
impossible for a ferret to get rabies, it is impossible for them to shed
the virus and half of the rabid ferrets in the USA (about one a year)
acquire rabies by getting the wrong vaccination."
 
FERRRETS CANNOT GET RABIES FROM THE VACCINE.  There is NO vaccine in use in
the USA, INCLUDING the one used in wildlife rabies programs, which could
GIVE your pet the disease.  None are modified live virus vaccines.  They
are all inactivated.  (BTW, your vet couldn't get the one for wildlife
programs if they wanted, it's tightly restricted for use only in state
rabies control programs.) Check the list of fda approved vaccines in the
1999 Rabies Compendium if you want to see for yourself:
http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/rabvacc.html
 
If a ferret isn't properly vaccinated, they may not have protection against
the disease in case they are exposed to it, but they will NOT "GET" the
disease from the vaccine.
 
Secondly, it is not "almost impossible".  Some of the material I've read
has stated that ferrets appear to have some natural resistance to the
disease.  I don't have enough data to comment on that.  The main reason,
IMHO that the incidence of rabies in ferrets is so low compared to dogs and
cats is that they are not generally permitted to run loose outside as dogs
and cats frequently are.  Both the case histories of ferrets I have (see my
web page, link is below) were loose outside.  Another reason the incidence
may be low is that if they tangle with a rabid animal of any significant
size the ferret may die of the injuries before developing the rabies
disease.
 
Pat, PLEASE remove or clarify that statement from the page before CA F&G
links to it!
 
And people, do get your ferrets vaccinated.  There is no reason why you
cannot claify with the vet ahead of time exaclty which vaccine they will
use (it should be Imrab 3 and ONLY Imrab 3.)  Further, if you're still
concerned, ask to see the actual vaccine vial just prior to vaccination
time and either leave or insist on the correct vaccine if it's not the
correct one.
 
-Ilena Ayala
 
Rabies Resources for Ferret Owners are at:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ilena/rabies.htm
[Posted in FML issue 2756]