I posted a few days ago asking for help with rabies case histories in
ferrets.  Thank you to all who responded!
 
I still need help with the states listed below.  Please don't assume
someone else will do it, if you live in one of the states below, help me
out!  If your ferrets life was on the line, you'd do it.  Helping now can
help keep that from happening, so please call!
 
PLEASE if you live in one of the following states, take 15 minutes to get
the information for us!  Get up right now, pick up your phone book and turn
to the blue pages of state government offices.  Look under 'health dept' for
infectious diseases or epidemiology, or whatever looks closest and follow
the trail from there.  If you can't call, email me the phone numbers you
find and I'll go from there
 
 Arkansas 1996
 California 1985
 Connecticut 1995
 DC  1986, 1987
 Iowa 1987
 North Dakota 1981, 1986
South Carolina 1978, 1986, 1992
Virginia 1982, 1992, 1993
 
The year(s) following the states are the years a ferret tested positive in
that state.  Tell the person you talk to what year(s) the ferret(s) testing
positive were in.  If the state dept does not have the info handy, ask for
the county it was in and a number and contact at the county level.
 
Ask for the following information, plus anything else they are willing to
forward.  We need a response on their letterhead.  If they are unable to
provide parts of the information, please have them state so, and why the
info is unavailable, e.g., vaccination history unknown because the ferret
was found as a stray and owner was never located..
 
-vaccination history of the ferret (if known)
-how the ferret was believed to be exposed?
-dates/timelines between exposure/symptoms/death
-What symptoms of illness, if any did the ferret display?
-What led to the ferret  being tested for rabies?
-rabies virus variant if known (** Important** I left this off my original
post!)
 
Have it sent to:
Ilena Ayala
13 Brandt Street
Hastings on Hudson
New York 10706
 
If you get a promise of a response, please drop me quick note so I can look
for it and let you know when it arrives.  (And so I can prevent duplication
of effort!) Ask for an ETA for the response.  If you hit a dead end, at
least let me know what numbers you called, and what if anything you were
able to find out.
 
TIA
Ilena
[Posted in FML issue 1957]