Remember that your state bureaucrats have their own list of rules to follow
to process any change. In some states it can be rapid, in some it can be
rapid once the related papers have appeared in a refereed journal, in some
it takes a long time and they can't help it.  If you call any BE POLITE;
you NEED them and their help!
 
James H. Wright, DVM, MPVM, Zoonosis Control Division, Texas department of
Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756-3199, 512/458-7111; excerpt:
"...The Texas law currently mandates a 30-day quarantine for ferrets
involved in a bite incident.  However, the law is being revised to require
a 10-day quarantine.  I expect the revision to be completed in late spring
of 1998..."
 
Sandra K.L. Norman, D.V.M., Diector, Companion Animal/Equine, Office of the
State Veterinarian, Indiana State Board of Animal Health, 805 Beachway
Drive, Suite 50, Indianapolis, IN 46224-7785, 317/22-0300, Fax:
317/227-0330; excerpts:
"... the Compendium in its entirety was just posted in the last 24 hours,
so receiving this request is a little premature, considering that the state
rules and policy need a little time to be adjusted ...
 
In Indiana, the rabies policy is handled by two departments.  Human bite
exposures are handled by the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH),
specifically referred to Dr. Robert Teclaw, veterinary epidemiologist.
Their handling of ferrets and exposure to humans has followed the
Compendium.  As soon as the change was announced they were willing to change
their handling of bites when the Compendium was made official.  They are
also wiling to adjust their rules accordingly ...
 
Vaccination laws and animal rabies quarantine rules are written by the Board
of Animal Health (BOAH), with recommendations from the Companion Animal
Advisory Committee... We will need to update the year and add ferrets to our
vaccination law.  The rule change will be initiated at our January board
meeting and after public hearing at the next meeting, needs to be reviewed
and signed by the Governor.  This process will takes about six months with
no objections.  We presently see no reason that these changes will meet with
any objections.  I am the person who deals with those rules and my superior
is State Veterinarian, Dr. Bret Marsh."
 
Janine Annis-Young, Research Assistant, MDPH Rabies Branch, Bureau of
Communicable Disease Control, State Laboratory Institute, Department of
Public Health, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health
and Human Services, 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130,
(617) 983-6800
"... Massachusetts established its official policy early in 1997 that
exposure to rabid or potentially rabid ferrets are to be treated in the same
manner as those for dogs and cats.  That is to say, that ferrets that bite
of otherwise expose humans are quarantined for a ten (10) day period..."
[Posted in FML issue 2149]