>From: Sam <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Aleutians >Anne Ryan posted: >>American Ferret Association and League of Independent Ferret Enthusiasts >>Announce Joint Campaign <snip> >I have been hearing rumours for the past several months from people in the >US about people blaming New Zealand ferrets for the 'outbreak' of ADV over >there. The only "proof" given to me so far has been spurious (two rescue >ferrets *presumed* to be from New Zealand, although there was no known I have in front of me an NFWS Newsletter from November 1992 in which Susan A Brown DVM is responding to letter written by Mike Oxenham B Vet Med, MRCVS. She mentions testing 500 ferrets in the USA for ADV and that they found that 10% tested positive - now does it look as if NZ ferrets are responsible for the outbreak. Don't forget the ADV was first found in the Aleutian mink, and that's why it called Aleutian Disease. How about blaming the mink fur farms instead of New Zealand. What we need is a vaccine for the disease not back biting. -- Sheila Bolton Ferret Welfare. Membership Secretary & Editor of The National Ferret Welfare Society. Web Site: www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm last update 26 Jan 2000 Waiting at Rainbow Bridge: Jill, Deanna Troy, Cameron, Carnath, Button, Bill, Bobby, Jasper, Inga, Holly & Fergle The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of the NFWS. [Posted in FML issue 2944]