Since last summer, the Independent Voice and STAR* Ferrets have been
collecting data for an update to a similar 1993 survey of the frequency of
adverse reactions to the leading distemper vaccines used by ferret
enthusiasts.
 
The results are in, and appear in the current issue of the Voice, which just
went out this week.  The full text of the report is given below, and is also
on the Internet Web, on the Independent Voice Ferret News Kiosk home page--
http://members.gnn.com/AcmeFerret/news.htm
 
(Also newly up on the Kiosk web site are several other current Voice
articles that many will find interesting, including an update on recent
distemper outbreaks across the country, a point-by-point look at the
inadequacies of the USDA's regulations for commercial interstate transport
of ferrets, reports on some of the hardships ferrets being transported
endured this winter, and USDA inspection reports on the Marshall Farms
breeding facility in New York state.  The LIFE page has also been updated
with new reports on club and shelter activities from around the nation.  The
LIFE page is now residing at Ferret World--
http://ferret-world.csc.peachnet.edu/ )
 
Herewith the results of the new survey:
 
Serious reactions are more than 8 times as likely to occur with FERVAC-D,
the only USDA-approved vaccine for ferrets, than with FROMM-D or its
successor GALAXY-D, dog vaccines that are widely used by owners of ferrets
to protect them from fatal canine distemper, according to initial results of
a nationwide survey.
 
A total of 1,827 ferret vaccination results have been tabulated so far in
the new survey: 868 injected with FERVAC-D, 483 with FROMM-D, and 476 with
its successor GALAXY-D.  The fact that over 52% of the ferrets were not
vaccinated with FERVAC-D may indicate continued customer acceptance problems
for the USDA-approved product.
 
In that connection, the VOICE has learned that several New England
veterinary facilities, including the staff of a noted veterinary school,
have switched to GALAXY-D because of reported problems with the
USDA-licensed ferret vaccine.
 
THE INDEPENDENT VOICE and Shelters That Adopt and Rescue began collecting
responses for the current survey as soon as the results of the initial
survey were collated in September 1993 [Editor's Note: published in the
October 1993 VOICE].
 
Though both STAR* and the VOICE participated in developing and disseminating
the questionnaire, the following summary is based solely on the VOICE's
collation and analysis of data received.  While all responses are
appreciated, a few could not be tabulated because insufficient information
was provided.
 
Summary of Reactions
 
In all, respondents reported no problems in over 94% of the ferrets
vaccinated, compared with only 83% in 1993.  Minor reactions (stinging,
itching, squealing, or lethargy) were reported in close to 4% of the
ferrets, while major reactions--vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, death or
subsequent contracting of distemper--occurred in less than 2% of cases
reported.
 
The most serious problems--seizures, death, or post-injection contracting of
distemper--were rare (0.49%), being reported in only 9 cases (5 FERVAC-D, 2
FROMM-D, and 2 GALAXY-D).  Of these cases, the only 2 direct deaths--as
reported by the veterinarian who administered the injections--were
attributed to FERVAC-D.
 
Survey results indicate that the likelihood of a serious reaction may vary
sharply depending on which vaccine is used, and less dramatically on vaccine
administration site.  Greater risk, by significant percentages, was
associated with use of FERVAC-D; with vaccination sites on the neck or
shoulder region; and with warming the vaccine to room temperature prior to
injection.
 
The most common adverse reactions reported were stinging or squealing (2.52%
of the time), vomiting or diarrhea (1.42% of the time), and lethargy (1.31%
of the cases).
 
In the 1993 survey, stinging and squealing were reported by over 25% of
respondents using FERVAC-D, but incidence of this symptom has apparently
declined sharply since United Vaccines altered the product two years ago.
 
In the new survey, ferrets vaccinated with FERVAC-D suffered stinging or
squealing only 2.53% of the time, slightly more than FROMM-D (2.07%) and
slightly less than GALAXY-D (2.94%).
 
Combined incidence of all minor reactions reported with GALAXY-D (3.57%) is
more than that of its predecessor FROMM-D (2.28%) but less than that of
FERVAC-D (4.84%).
 
At the same time, ferrets vaccinated with FERVAC-D were 8.56 times as likely
to have a serious reaction than those vaccinated with FROMM-D or GALAXY-D.
Serious reactions were reported in 3.57% of ferrets vaccinated with
FERVAC-D, in only 0.41% of ferrets vaccinated with FROMM-D, and in 0.42% of
ferrets vaccinated with GALAXY-D.
 
The most notable other statistical risk factors were administration of the
vaccine on the neck or shoulder region, and warming of the vaccine to room
temperature before injection.
 
A serious reaction was 3.6 times as likely if the vaccine was administered
on the neck or in the shoulder area than if administered elsewhere on the
ferret's body.  But ferrets injected on these other sites--rump or hip--were
about 1.4 times more likely to experience a minor reaction.
 
Neck and shoulder vaccinations accounted for almost 74% of all reports and
91% of all serious reactions.  Vaccinations on rump or hip accounted for 26%
of reports but only 9% of serious reactions.
 
The respective incidence of both major and minor reactions reported for
ferrets given vaccine that was warmed to room temperature was more than 4
times as great as when the vaccine was not warmed to room temperature.
 
There have been reports from several states in recent months of ferrets
contracting distemper subsequent to vaccination with FERVAC-D, but it is not
clear whether the disease appeared because or in spite of the vaccine.
 
United Defends Product
 
Roger Brady, a spokesman for United, said his company has received reports
of anaphylactic and other reactions to the vaccine, but indicated the number
of complaints of stinging has declined since mid-1993, when FERVAC-D altered
the diluent solution in which the vaccine is imbedded.
 
Brady said the number of reports of adverse reactions to date is less than
one-half of 1 percent.  He declined to estimate what percent of ferret
owners are using FERVAC-D.
 
Solvay, manufacturer of FROMM-D and GALAXY-D, discourages the use of its
canine-licensed distemper vaccines on ferrets.  At least one national
distributor of veterinary products recently refused to accept a telephone
order by a shelter for a batch of GALAXY-D intended for use on ferrets,
until the shelter explicitly agreed to hold the company harmless in event of
adverse reactions.  Individuals attempting to order GALAXY-D for their dogs
from the distributor have reported no problems making the purchase.
 
Veterinarians Balk
 
Continuing acceptance problems for United may be indicated by the decision
last fall of veterinarians at the Tufts Veterinary School in Grafton, MA to
go with GALAXY-D instead of FERVAC-D when it became impossible to procure
FROMM-D.  Dr. Gretchen Kaufman, DMV, with the Exotic Animal Medicine Service
at the School, said that the staff concluded there were "many bad reports
from local vets" regarding FERVAC-D.  She said they have found that
"GALAXY-D seemed to have much better performance" and was "a safer product
to use." Consequently, they concluded shifting to GALAXY-D was "medically
and ethically" the right thing to do.
 
Another New England DVM told the VOICE that veterinarians attending a small
animal conference in New York state late last year besieged the
representative of United Vaccines, the Wisconsin-based manufacturer of
FERVAC-D, with complaints about negative reactions to the product.  "We felt
their representative was very defensive," the veterinarian said.
 
USDA "Not Investigating"
 
Donna Cummins of the Veterinary Biologics Field Operations office of the US
Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) said the office does not have any reports of adverse reactions to
FERVAC-D currently under investigation.  She also indicated the Iowa-based
VBFO facility has not issued any advisories having to do with the safety
and/or efficacy of the United Vaccine product.
 
Ms. Cummins encouraged any owner whose ferret has an adverse reaction to
report it to VBFO at 1-800-752-6255.
 
Sadly, however, there is little to indicate VBFO ever has or ever will do
anything with the data that ferret owners report.
[Posted in FML issue 1528]