(Part one of two) [Part two tomorrow. crl] [Note: The following report on the results of our distemper vaccine survey is excerpted from the October 1993 issue of the Independent Voice. The article may be quoted from or reproduced freely with proper crediting of the source.] In a nationwide survey of adverse reactions to the two canine distemper vaccines most widely used to protect ferrets from the fatal disease, problems were reported in more than 28% of cases involving FERVAC-D, the only USDA-approved vaccine, while FROMM- D, a dog vaccine often used for ferrets, triggered reactions only 6.1% of the time. Responses to the ongoing survey of pet owners, breeders, rescue shelters, and veterinarians have yielded reports on 864 ferrets injected with FROMM-D and 508 with FERVAC-D. The questionnaire was developed jointly by Shelters That Adopt and Rescue (STAR Ferrets) and Acme Ferret Company, publisher of THE INDEPENDENT VOICE, which collated the data. Out of the total of 1,372 ferrets whose vaccination results were reported, 1,173 had no adverse reaction, 161 experienced a minor reaction (temporary stinging), 32 had reactions of medium severity (screaming or lethargy), and 6 had major reactions (e.g. vomiting, defecating blood, convulsions). Ferrets injected at the neck or shoulder had more problems than those injected on the rump, leg, or hip, and ferrets vaccinated by a veterinarian had fewer problems than those vaccinated by owners and breeders. "Stinging" was the problem most often reported with both vaccines, but more than five times as often with FERVAC-D as with FROMM-D. The frequency of stinging reported with FERVAC-D was 23.6%, compared to 4.7 for FROMM-D. Screaming was reported 2.36% of the time with FERVAC-D and 0.12% of the time with FROMM-D. Post-injection lethargy was reported in 1.97% of cases involving FERVAC-D and 1.04% of those involving FROMM-D. Serious reactions such as vomiting, seizures, and anaphylactic shock were rare with both vaccines but reported four times as often with FERVAC-D as with FROMM-D. Such reactions were reported in 0.08% of cases with FERVAC-D and 0.02% of cases with FROMM-D. Anaphylactic shock, the severe allergic response sometimes responsible for human deaths from bee sting, was reported in three instances, all involving FERVAC-D. In one case, involving a 5-year-old spayed albino vaccinated by a veterinarian, the reaction was fatal. The survey indicates the risks associated with either product can be significantly reduced by choosing an injection site other than neck or shoulder, and by having a veterinarian administer the shot. With FERVAC-D, 100% of the medium and severe reactions involved injections delivered at the neck (85%) or shoulder (15%). With FROMM-D, shoulder injections were involved in 67% of medium and severe reactions, while neck injections were involved in 25%. Of the total 38 medium to severe reactions reported with the two vaccines, all but one -- a rump injection - - were delivered at the neck or shoulder. No reactions more serious than stinging were reported among the 380 injections delivered at the hip or leg. Owners and breeders who vaccinate their own ferrets were much more likely to have problems of minor or medium severity with either vaccine. Overall frequency of stinging, screaming, or lethargy was only 3.9% for DVM-administered injections and more than four times higher -- 16.4% -- for owner-administered shots. Among ferrets vaccinated by veterinarians, such reactions were reported in 1% of FROMM-D injections and 5.6% of FERVAC-D injections. Roger Brady, director of sales and marketing for Wisconsin-based United Vaccines Inc., maker of FERVAC-D and other animal vaccines, says the ferret product meets government safety standards and the company has received few reports of serious reactions--only 4 per 10,000 doses sold. He emphasized that "the important thing is that FERVAC-D does protect ferrets from distemper, and without vaccination a ferret that gets distemper will die." The United Vaccine spokesman said that veterinarians have a moral obligation "by their conscience and their oath" to use the licensed product. According to Brady, the company does not consider transient stinging, screaming, or lethargy as "adverse reactions" but only "temporary discomfort." However, he said United will soon come out with a modified version, already approved by the US Department of Agriculture, designed to end the stinging. He added that some injection sites, such as the ferret's neck, may be more likely to irritate a sensitive spot than other sites such as under the arm or between the shoulder blades. The company spokesman, who was provided copies of the raw data obtained in the survey, also pointed out that veterinarians might not agree with some of the assessments of reactions reported by non-DVM survey respondents. He said the company maintains a toll-free number, 1-800-283-6465, which anyone may call to report reactions to FERVAC-D. Dr. Jim Walsh, a veterinarian with the professional services division of Minnesota-based Solvay Animal Health Inc., maker of FROMM-D, confirmed that his company's product has never been tested for ferrets. However, he added that in the 12 years he has worked for the company he has never heard a report of a ferret having a fatal reaction to the product. Though the product is designed for dogs, it is also used to protect the majority of animals in US zoos from distemper, he said. Asked whether Solvay would consider going through the USDA testing and approval process to get FROMM-D licensed for ferrets, Walsh said no. "Research dollars are limited, and we have more important things to do." Dr. David E. Starling, DVM, with USDA's Veterinary Biologics Field Operations office in Ames, Iowa, is the biologics specialist who investigated the report of the ferret fatality last summer. Starling said in an interview with the VOICE that USDA plans to "continue monitoring this product" but for now still considers FERVAC-D safe when used as directed. He also confirmed that the government is "out of the picture" when it comes to tracking effects of FROMM-D on ferrets, for which it is not licensed. Starling noted that anaphylaxis occurs too infrequently to show up at all in pre-license testing of animal vaccines, so its incidence can only be monitored afterward via consumer and veterinarian reports. For example, whereas 300 ferrets were "challenge tested" by United to get FERVAC-D licensed with no major reactions reported, the deadly shock reaction might show up in fewer than 1 per 5,000 injections on average. He added that "each serial (lot) of the product has been tested prior to marketing for purity, safety and potency." The USDA official said that after Ms. Sandra Zuras of Manassas, Virginia reported to him her ferret's anaphylactic death from FERVAC-D, he reviewed the information United Vaccines is required to keep on file about reported reactions, discussed the incident with Mrs. Zuras's veterinarian, and reviewed reports from "various sources" in the ferret owning community. According to Pam Grant of STAR ferrets, Dr. Starling telephoned her on August 23 to discuss the vaccine survey and she acquainted him orally with the responses reported above. Subsequently VBFO was provided with copies of the raw data, which Starling said he has seen but not analyzed. "The greatest problem found in my review has been a transient postvaccinal stinging at the injection site. The animals usually create quite a stir with their vocalization in the first few moments after being vaccinated. The company is aware of this problem and is taking corrective action," he wrote to Ms. Zuras. "This does not discredit the fact that an anaphylactic reaction took the life of your ferret," he added in the letter. Starling says VBFO continues to welcome all reports of reactions to the vaccine but urged consumers to provide the same information to the manufacturer. The VBFO can be contacted at (515)-232-5785. Ms. Zuras said that Desiree, the ferret who died, was among six of her ferrets who received the vaccine that day, and all of them "acted like it hurt them." To all appearances a healthy ferret before vaccination, Desiree at first showed no signs of anaphylactic reaction, but "when we got her home in half an hour and took her out, she looked like she was in a coma. We drove right back." According to Ms. Zuras, Desiree at first appeared to respond to treatment, but suffered a relapse later in the day . "She started twitching, making noise like she was in pain. Her abdomen was turning black and swollen, she was suffering horribly." Ms. Zuras rushed her to a local emergency veterinary clinic, but "by the time we got there she was gone." "I called United Vaccines to report the death to Roger Brady," Ms. Zuras recalls. "He denied anyone had ever reported stinging at injection site or anaphylaxis. Later in the conversation he admitted there had been stinging reactions reported, but only after I told him I already knew about it." An anaphylactic reaction was reported in August by breeder Kathleen Cheeseman, owner of Dancing Bottom Ferrets, who like many other breeders administers her own injections. The reaction occurred to a 1-1/2 year old whole male in season who on previous occasions suffered no reaction to either FERVAC-D or FROMM-D. "Bear started out throwing up, then went into convulsions, clawing at his mouth, lost bowel control, and, then started to go comatose. When we got him to the vet, he let out a bowel movement with blood. It was about as serious a reaction as you can get without death," Ms. Cheeseman said. Despite the harrowing experience, Ms. Cheeseman said she intends to keep on using FERVAC-D, because "it's important to support the companies that do the research" to get veterinary products licensed for ferrets. The Virginia-based breeder said she got a "very good response" when she discussed the incident with Mr. Brady of United and considers Bear's reaction "just a fluke." But she advises everyone doing their own vaccinating to "make sure their veterinarian is available before they vaccinate with either product." Ohio breeder Linda Harrah is less sympathetic to United. Ms. Harrah, who said she vaccinates "several hundred ferrets a year," reported that in September 1992 a 5-month-old jill whom she vaccinated for a friend "immediately went into anaphylactic shock" and "would have died if a vet hadn't been close." "I reported the ferret that went into shock to United the next morning," she writes. "The person I spoke with said someone from the company would get back with me later that week. I never heard another thing from them." An increasing number of veterinarians believe the risk of an adverse reaction to any animal vaccine increases with the frequency of booster shots. Dr. Starling, the USDA biologics specialist, said on the basis of his own personal practice that it "could be the case" that frequent revaccination with a vaccine product would increase susceptibility . Dr. Lisa Chambreau, DVM, writes in a study recently prepared for Baltimore Ferret Friends that vaccinating ferrets for distemper, if continued beyond the stage of kit injections, causes a "predisposition to other problems of overall ill health for all of them, e.g. tumors, diabetes, skin problems, appetite problems, Cushing's disease, etc." Especially important, she added, "is the effect of vaccinating on making the animal susceptible to opportunistic infections like the green diarrhea." [Posted in FML issue 0718]