My uneducated guess and personal opinion about MF kits in pet stores
with ECE:
 
I would suspect that people with ferrets at home that have had ECE may be
handling pet store ferrets, thus, passing on the ECE virus to the pet store
ferrets who in turn, when purchased, pass it on to naive ferrets in the new
owner's household.
 
ECE is *very* contagious and the virus can be passed in this fashion.  Since
some ferrets can carry the virus for months even after recovery, my opinion
is that people who have had ferrets with ECE should not be handling pet
store ferrets.  This goes for shelter owners, breeders, owners, whoever.
 
Is anybody noticing the increase in the number of ferrets who go to the
vet's for a routine something or other and then come home with ECE?????
 
It seems to me that if a vet handles a ferret with ECE, he should wash his
hands thoroughly and change his lab coat before handling other ferrets.  I
had this experience myself.  I took 2 ferrets in for a routine check up, and
3 days later they came down with ECE - it again went rampid through my
entire house - this was their 2nd exposure approx 1 year later after the
initial exposure.  The vet swore there were no other ferrets in that day,
but I don't believe him.  I know for a fact he is not careful about washing
his hands, because when I took 2 very sick ECE ferrets in to see him, there
were other ferrets in the waiting room after me - as I was packing up to
leave, I asked the tech to be sure he changed his jacket and washed his
hands as there were other ferrets in the WR, but it was too late - he had
already gone in to see the ferrets, and I KNOW he did not clean up before
doing so.....this is another big way it is spread...
 
Debbie Riccio
WNYFLFA
Rochester, NY
[Posted in FML issue 1531]