> I'm leaning towards intentionally exposing my guys should the opportunity
>arise.  Both my MF gibs are healthy and relatively young, at ~18 months.  I
>feel they will suffer less now than later
 
    I hear this every few weeks.  Super bad idea.
 
    While your young ferrets may have a less severe form of the disease,
then they will be carriers and will shed the virus to any naive ferret they
come in contact with for at least six months, probably a year, or maybe
longer.  That means any ferret they play with, see at a show (probably
unusual in CA), one they stay with when you are out of town, etc.  This,
unfortunately, makes you responsible for an outbreak, however, small.  And
in this instance, because you intentionally exposed your animals, you cannot
claim otherwise.
 
    The disease may be unavoidable.  However, my ferrets don't have it,
and I worked with the live virus for months (I was extremely fastidious
about not carrying it into the house - three showers and a complete change
of clothes each night before seeing the ferrets).  They will not be exposed,
and hopefully will live out their lives in their naive state.  I will make
every attempt to keep it out of my house.  That may impact on the numbre of
other ferrets that they see, but I sleep very well at night.
 
    There is also no guarantee that every ferret will come through it
unscathed, even one at 18 months (although the chance of serious disease is
small).  But it would still be a risk, and not one that most of us would be
willing to take.
 
        I know you will reconsider.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
[Posted in FML issue 1307]