I wish I had more time to respond the rabies and humane society issues
raised in the last issue.  I don't right now so this will be brief.
 
When I made my initial post, I only meant it as a response to the original
post on how could someone (a ferret shelter I assume) get state/humane
society shelters to release found ferrets to the local ferret shelters.  My
response was basically how we did it here in NH.  (BTW there is a large
outbreak of rabies here in NH too.) I did, though, find the larger shelters
very cooperative in sending the ferrets to us.
 
On the rabies issue, I couldn't present all of the data I've collected
unless BIG were willing to devote the entire issue or three to it.  It runs
for many many pages.  What I gave was a summary of a summary and not meant
to try to convince any Public Health organization.  (My own opinion is that
no one is going to do that in the near future no matter what the KSU/CDC
data shows.  I do have a large packet of info we used to convince the state
legislature, if any one is interested in paying copying fees and postage.)
 
On the question about vaccinated ferrets getting rabies, that is a part of
the approval process for the vaccine itself.  To get USDA approval you have
to demonstrate effectiveness and safety of the vaccine.  IMRAB was so
approved.  I do know that the vaccine manufacturer did not do shedding
studies on the ferrets used as controls.  I know of no studies that show any
animal actively shedding the virus that did not have the disease itself -
if that's what was meant.
 
On the New Hampshire rabid kitten issue.  In my opinion that is a prime
example of the hysteria over rabies.  One kitten was tested positive for
rabies.  In fact no other kitten from the same litter or from the same store
that was kept with kitten in question, tested positive.  I suppose it is
possible that the test sample was contaminated and the finding, a "false
positive".  (In a 1980's NIH study of state labs, they found roughly 14% of
the tests on known rabies negative samples were reported as rabies
positive.) In any event, over 600 people were treated with rabies series.
People who walked down the street in front of the pet store; kids who played
with kids who were in the pet store; It's almost like they treated people
who thought of going to the pet store.  One woman who sat on the steps got
two of the initial GG shots - one in the arm, and one on the posterior
because she though the virus might migrate through her clothes and skin that
way.
 
Rabies _is_ a serious disease.  On the average, though, about 1-2 people a
year in the U.S.  die of rabies.  Humans seem to be resistant to the virus.
I believe the statistics are 1 out of 6 people who are bitten with a rabid
animal will develop the disease.  Still it is nothing to take lightly since,
it is nearly always fatal.
 
My problem is, that there is no evidence that the ferret can shed the rabies
virus, and in fact there are three separate studies now on three separate
strains of the virus that show that the ferret does not.  All three studies
show a 4 day average period from onset of symptoms until death.  Why then,
routinely kill these animals?  Why not allow licensed shelters the option of
providing a quarantine, then vaccinating?  [My own two-cents.]
 
          Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1371]