To Debbie Riccio regarding yearly distemper boosters ... I certainly did not
mean to imply that ferret owners should feel safe letting their ferrets go
two or three years between distemper vaccine boosters.  Until we know
differently, ALL ferret owners should continue to provide yearly boosters
for canine distemper to their pets.  I mentioned that the existing distemper
vaccines may eventually be shown to provide longer-lasting protection
because, in rare circumstances, ferret owners may not be able to revaccinate
their ferrets on a yearly schedule due to finances or other reasons.
Delaying the booster *is* gambling with the life of the ferret since we
don't know how much protective immunity remains a year after the last
booster.  For those who cannot give their ferrets annual distemper boosters,
the risk that their ferret could die cannot be overemphasized since
distemper is so easily transmitted by clothing, on hands or through other
means.
 
I would like to see a vet school study the issue of less frequent booster
injections or other vaccine forms such as the intranasal vaccine you
mentioned that United is working on.  Until new information or new vaccines
are available, I concur that yearly boosters are the way to go.
 
To Ferret McDuff, regarding the state health officials who recently killed a
NC kit without doing a risk assessment, the people in our local group plan
to speak with the pet store and the breeder to see if either of them plan to
issue a complaint or seek legal action.  There's no news on that yet.  The
breeder, BTW, is not Marshall Farm or Path Valley, but a local breeder
called Animals Exotic.  They are located in Zebulon, NC, east of the state
capital, Raleigh.  We also hope to check with a lawyer familiar with NC law.
In some circumstances, state officials are immune from prosecution if they
are acting in the interest of the state.  I don't know if that is the case
here but we're looking into it.  I would thing the office can be sued, if
not the individual.  Our group may help to educate the pet store personnel
and offer them information for customers explaining why kits direct from a
breeder have a zero risk of having rabies.  Several breeders will need to be
contacted before we can provide verifiable, accuate information, however.
(MF ferrets are available here, but not at the store in question.)
 
--Jeff Johnston
[Posted in FML issue 1618]