Chris, Dave Cahill, Small Animal Vaccine Manager at Norden Labs, today told me that Norden will begin "challenge testing" their ferret rabies vaccine. in July. After the animals are given live rabies virus, a 90 day observation period will follow. USDA (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture) sets the rules for how these tests are run and gives final approval for vaccines used in domestic animals. Mr. Cahill believes that, if field testing is waived, final approval will be received before the end of the year, with release of the vaccine in early 1990. Field testing could consist of further exposures of animals to live virus. Mr. Cahill thinks the number of test animals used in the challenges will allow field testing to be bypassed. Marshall Farms of New York has been providing ferrets for the researc and is the second largest source of ferrets (I believe Path Valley Farms is the largest). Those of us who have been following the efforts to get a rabies vaccine approved for use in domestic pet ferrets find this extremely exciting news, Chris. Untold thousands of ferrets are killed each year, due to the lack of an "approved" vaccine. Sadly, current killed virus vaccines used (unofficially) do offer protection, but are not sanctioned for use in pet ferrets and as such offer no "legal" protection. Thought the mailing list would be interested. More info will follow in the FERRET TIMES newsletter (FERRET TIMES, #5 Honey Brook Circle, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. (301) 330-5492). CHIP GALLO [Chip - have you been getting issues so far? Do you want back issues?] [Posted in FML 0069]