>I do agree that it is important to encourage people who breed, adopt out,
>or take in ferrets to test for ADV.  I don't think it should be mandatory
>in order to show a ferret.  I think this is what people are upset about.
 
As a person that brought ADV into my home as the result of occurrences at
the first Warm Fuzzy show, I applaud the decision of the Planned Ferrethood
group for requiring ADV testing for show entrants.
 
While it is true that this testing will not mean that a ferret with ADV
that is shedding will not get in, it certainly lowers the risk.  And people
need to realize that just like no vaccination is 100% effective, no test is
100% accurate.  We do not stop vaccinating our ferrets just because the
vaccine is not 100% effective.  We vaccinate because doing so lowers the
risk of infection.  Testing for ADV lowers the risk of exposure.
 
In a perfect world, it might be possible to go at the problem from another
route, such as disinfection procedures used by the show judges.  But this
is not a perfect world.  The fact is, there are no procedures that could be
used that would be practical.  Parvocides only work on nonporous surfaces.
And, they do not work instantaneously.  Usually, it is recommended that
items be soaked for 5 to 10 minutes in the parvocide solution, or sprayed
and allowed to airdry.  Clothing and skin can not be effectively 'cleaned'
by the solutions that are used.  So, show judges would have to at the
least, wear latex gloves that would be changed between each ferret, and
would either have to have all their clothing covered by some nonporous
garment that would be sprayed down and allowed to airdry between each
ferret, or they would have to change their cloths between each ferret.  Not
very practical!  Who knows how the ferrets would react to latex covered
hands, and if people think shows run too long now, imagine how long they
would run with these kinds of procedures in place.
 
Education continues to be an important part in stopping the spread of this
disease, and I think most of the groups putting on shows do their part to
educate others about the dangers of ADV.  Most shows at least have a table
with information about the disease, and someone there that can discuss it
with people that have questions.  The Planned Ferrethood group is having a
speaker, Dr. Stephon, who will be able to talk with attendees about ADV and
the ELISA test.
 
Life is full of risks.  Crossing the street puts you at risk.  However,
we can minimize the risk by looking for vehicles headed in our direction
before stepping onto the street.  That is what mandatory testing at shows
is about - minimizing the risk.
 
Our cousins on the other side of the Atlantic have had mandatory ADV
testing for ferrets attending shows for some time.  From the reports I have
heard from them, the policy has helped.  Maybe it is time we followed their
example.
 
Danee
[Posted in FML issue 3424]