It's been quite a while since I've posted on ADV.. months. Many of you might forget that while I have an interest in deaf ferrets, I'm also a huge advocate in the fight against ADV ..or should I say in public awareness of ADV. I am bringing up this topic today because a nine week old kit is said to have had a positive result for ADV come back from their ELISA test. As usual, instead of just looking at supporting the owner of the ferret through this, instead of trading experience and advice, instead of trying to trace exposure to other ferrets for their safety... much emotion has been understandably evoked. Speculation and assumption have raised their ugly heads. So I wanted to come forth... with some facts about ADV, and about situations like this. First, in the words of Judy Gronwald (Mommy to White Russian), ADV is not some embarrassing ugly monster to be hidden away or feared. It is a disease that needs to be dealt with. It kills ferrets just like adrendal and insolinoma, etc. So if you think of it on these terms, you might be able to approach it on a rational and logical level. For if you approach it with panic, than you are hurting ferrets and people. People that live with ADV ferrets in their lives need support... they need emotional support, they need strength, and understanding. They need to be treated like people that have ferrets with life threatening disease just like other ferret diseases, no more and no less. Many people have felt that they must keep secret their ferrets ADV status secret because of politics, and because of how others have been treated in the past. There are more than you might imagine. If you find your ferret has been exposed to ADV, or has a positive test for ADV... I would like to see you seek support and information without panicing yourself, others, and to do so without anger most of all. Try to keep assumption, judgement, and anger out of it. People will be more receptive and helpful if you keep to the facts only. I must implore you to document things about that ferret... history, sales reciets, adoption records, vaccine records, vet visits, tests, ... everything that you can. Why? Because there has been so much speculation in the past and finger pointing that people are being skeptacle when an ADV exposure happens and understandably so. There have been assumptions before facts were known. Said positives when they were negative, (and vice versa). I even heard of one case where someone said they had a ferret die of ADV when that was not so at all,,, causing great worry and hardship on all that thought they were exposed. If you need a common sense, and quick explanation of ADV, go to my site that I made for EVERYONE. It is YOURS to copy, print, summarize, link to, etc. Have at it. The disease is not so very complicated...... the reaction and how its handled is I'm sad to say. Wolfy Please visit: http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/adv-straight.html [Posted in FML issue 3685]