Linda Iroff wrote: >http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/science/28viru.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Yep. Currently the virus strains are only attaching deep in lungs where they can't be coughed, sneezed, or moved by hands. If the cell receptor spikes change so that in ferrets they can bind in the nose, sinuses. throat, or brochioles then that means they can be easy spread (as long as there is also an enzymatic change needed for another function). If they bind in ferret upper respiratory tract they will probably bind in human upper respiratory tracts, so we do not want those ferret sneezes to show that, for them and for us. In these studies the ferrets are pretty much serving the function of mine canaries. One of the weird things is the PUSH (and that is exactly what it is) to urge Tamiflu purchasing in high amounts. Tamiflu is known to NOT work in multiple sets (of both clades? I am unsure on that point.) of this virus (in ferrets and in humans) and it is UNknown if it would work in others. There is another thing affecting the Tamiflu push (a political and monetary thing). See resources such as <http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/31/news/newsmakers/fortune_rumsfeld/> This 11 day old World Health Organization article that was written only 12 days ago actually uses the kindest while accurate wording (See treatment section.): http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/ useofoseltamivir2006_03_17A.pdf If that link is glitchy look for "ADVICE ON USE OF OSELTAMIVIR" with the date 17 March 2006 on the WHO site. BTW, according to some new info in NYT the virus HAS now been encountered in pigs. That was always kind of expected, so it is only a surprise that it took a while. The antibodies in dogs and the strong infections in cats were something of a surprise since they are often less likely to share the same influenzas with humans than ferrets and pigs do. Besides the treatment limitations and sometimes total lack of use of Tamiflu with some strains of the two viral clads, there is also this limitation that Tamiflu does not seem to reduce the period of viral shedding, though in this case the fevers were shorter, but notice that this is influenza in GENERAL not the avian influenza in particular: Notice the minimal impact (on the period of viral shedding): Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2005 Oct;24(10):931-2. Viral shedding in children with influenza virus infections treated with neuraminidase inhibitors. Sato M, Hosoya M, Kato K, Suzuki H. Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima South Aizu Hospital, Tajima, Japan. >We examined the efficacy of neuraminidase inhibitors for reducing >the duration of virus shedding after naturally occurring influenza virus >infection. The duration of fever was significantly shorter in patients >treated with neuraminidase inhibitors than in untreated patients. The >durations of virus shedding from patients treated >with neuraminidase >inhibitors were not significantly shorter than those of untreated >patients. Publication Types: Randomized Controlled Trial PMID: 16220098 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] In Pubmed with an search folks can find multiple studies on this disease and this med (in ferrets, humans, others): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi For some more info on this: http://tingilinde.typepad.com/starstuff/2006/03/on_bird_flu.html -- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private posts) Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them: Ferret Health List http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ AFIP Ferret Pathology http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html Miamiferrets http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ International Ferret Congress Critical References http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5197]