This article appeared today: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695235247,00.html including >"The 10 ferrets released into Snake John are part of a larger study to >determine the effectiveness of a vaccine developed for the sylvatic >plague, which is the prairie dog version of the black plague," said >Brian Maxfield, sensitive species biologist with the Utah Division of >Wildlife Resources. > >"The black-footed ferret preys almost exclusively on prairie dogs... >[but] neither the ferret nor its prey have natural immunities to the >plague."... > >"The study started in 2004," said Maxfield. "As part of the study, >we get about 20 animals a year. The vaccine is given to half of the >animals. The other half are control animals that are not vaccinated. Here is the announcement of the vaccine 3 and 1/2 years ago: >J Zoo Wildl Med. 2004 Jun;35(2):142-6. >Recombinant F1-V fusion protein protects black-footed ferrets >(Mustela nigripes) against virulent Yersinia pestis infection. > >Rocke TE, Mencher J, Smith SR, Friedlander AM, Andrews GP, Baeten LA. >U S Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, National >Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA. > >Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are highly susceptible to >sylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and this >disease has severely hampered efforts to restore ferrets to their >historic range. A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of >vaccination of black-footed ferrets against plague using a recombinant >protein vaccine, designated F1-V, developed by personnel at the U.S. >Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Seven >postreproductive black-footed ferrets were immunized with the vaccine, >followed by two booster immunizations on days 23 and 154; three >control black-footed ferrets received a placebo. After the second >immunization, antibody titers to both F1 and V antigen were found to >be significantly higher in vaccinates than controls. On challenge with >7,800 colony-forming units of virulent plague by s.c. injection, the >three control animals died within 3 days, but six of seven vaccinates >survived with no ill effects. The seventh vaccinate died on day 8. >These results indicate that black-footed ferrets can be immunized >against plague induced by the s.c. route, similar to fleabite >injection. > PMID: 15305507 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5823]