I wrote:
>In France ferrets and polecats are considered "dead-end" species for
>the infection, but the U.S.  does not permit that designation with any
>strongly dangerous disease.
 
but that was bad wording.
 
It was suggested by their researchers that ferrets and polecats be put
in that category years before the CDC studied rabies in ferrets here
because of several studies done in France on rabies types.  The mention
is in at least one of those papers, but i don't know if it became a
formal choice.  I think it might have become one, though, because of
later discussions with Dr. Chuck Rupprecht, but it hit me today that I
don't know definitely that the designation was given.
 
I hope that other people also write to answers.  com and to the
medicinenet editors to remind them to correct their pages where they say
that ferrets are a common rabies vector because it is so hard for that to
be more inaccurate, given that the rate of rabies infections in ferrets
is so low, there is an effective vaccine and has been for abut 16 years,
and worldwide there are no known cases of a ferret ever having
transmitted rabies.
 
See these FML digests if you missed the discussion: 5343 and 5344
(yesterday and the day before)
 
If you don't have them already send one mail with subject and body
saying SEND FERRET 5343
and another with SEND FERRET 5344
(Since I never can recall if the subject of the body needs the
command it is easiest to just use it in both.  :-)  )
to
[log in to unmask]
 
[Moderator's note: You can put as many SEND requests in the body of
the e-mail as you wish (rememebring that, it might make it easier to
remember the subject is ignored (since you can only have one subject
line, realistically. :-))  BIG]
 
That way you will find the original message as well as replies with
useful URLs and where to reply.
 
Getting those places changed is IMPORTANT because both are relied upon
for accuracy and usually do a better job of it.  Either could wind up
quoted extensively and used against ferrets.  Ironically, I just saw an
ad last night touting the accuracy of the place that runs medicinenet...
 
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love
them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5345]