I just got off the phone with the head virologist at the university of
Guelph.  The CEP testing will go forth in Canada.  This will make it
a LOT more cost effective for us to test our ferrets.  Testing was
originally planed to start next week but the lab didn't realize that
ferrets had a strain of ADV all of their own and they only purchased
the mink strain from United Vaccine.
 
The lab is now in the process of obtaining the ferret strain and is happy
to work with ferret lovers across Canada.  The test will cost about $30
and will include up to 20 samples (20 different ferrets) which makes
testing for shelters in Canada a whole lot nicer and for you fuzzy lovers
out there with multiple ferrets nicer too!
 
Until the university has the appropriate ferret strain of ADV to test
for, please do not send samples in, you'll be testing for the wrong
virus.
 
In the long run (in a couple of months) they will also include a PCV test
(a test to find the DNA of the virus in a sample of blood) if they have
any positive tests.
 
I'll keep you all up to date on the progress, but we should be set to
go in a couple of weeks, once the university gets the right strain from
United Vaccine :)  Very happy!
 
Miss Randy Melanie Belair
President
The Ferret Aid Society
www.ferretaid.org <http://www.ferretaid.org/>
 
Join us for the IFC Ferret Aid 2006 Conference!
Book early, almost 1/2 sold out!!
http://www.ferretaid.org/events/ferret_aid_2006.html
[Posted in FML issue 5049]