A number of threads to respond to. First, and perhaps most important, is the paper I mentioned a week or so ago about a viral cause for lymphosarcoma in ferrets. I copied the paper at the library and gone over it, and it's a good piece of research. Even though it's one paper, it's got me convinced that at least a certain percentage of lymphoma in ferrets is likely to be caused by a virus. The paper is by Susan Erdman and her colleagues at MIT, Cambridge, Mass. The citation is: Erdman SE et al. Transmission of a chronic lymphoproliferative syndrome in ferrets. Laboratory Investigation 1995;72:539-46. The researcher isolated a retrovirus, which is the same type of virus that causes AIDS in humans (Note: *not* THE same virus...same family, that's all). For those who know biology pretty well, they found elevated levels of reverse transcriptase (only found in retroviruses) and have electron micrographs of the viruses budding from cells. Pretty solid evidence. What they have NOT done is to sequence the virus to determine whether this is a version of the mink retrovirus or something else. If this retrovirus causes most or even some lymphomas in ferrets, the important question becomes, "How does it get transmitted?" Unlike coronaviruses (the leading culprit in cases of ECE), retroviruses do *not* survive long outside the body or on surfaces. Transmission is almost always via blood. There are several possible ways the virus could be transmitted: --From mother to kit through the placenta; --Sexually, in which case you'd expect to see more females with lymphoma than males; --Through saliva during bites (possible, but not likely as retroviruses are poorly transmitted through saliva, which contains inhibitors); or --Via vaccines, through contaminated cell lines. I'm going to try to find an email address for Dr. Erdman and pursue some of these. I may also try to reach United Vaccines and ask them if they screen Ferrvac for retroviruses. Anyone have the number for Solvay so the same question can be asked about Galaxy? Stay tuned. This could have serious implications depending on how common this virus is and how it is transmitted. (Vaccine transmission would be the easiest to correct...sexual transmission, however, could have disastrous implications for breeders. Let's not speculate too much yet until the virus is identified.) On another viral topic, someone asked what was the difference between canine and feline distemper. Well, *huge* difference. Canine distemper is a morbillivirus, somewhat related to measles in humans. It uses RNA to store its genetic information. Feline distemper is a type of parvovirus, distantly related to Fifth's disease in humans (the "slapped face" rash). That virus uses DNA for its genetic instructions. The two viruses are *vastly* different. They just happen to both be called distemper. The same situation is true of the five-known hepatitis viruses. They all infect the liver, but only two of the five are related viruses, the others are different. Tetsuro Oka asked about the vaccine results he posted in FML#1720. First of all, the company is testing a multi-virus dog vaccine on ferrets. Second, of the four viruses the vaccine contained, the results were inconclusive for canine distemper--the only one you absolutely want your ferret protected from. Third, three vaccine animals and one control is statistically irrelevant. Conclusion: This vaccine may not protect against distemper, contains vaccine components your ferret does *not* need to be protected against (this increases the risk for an adverse vaccine reaction) and the sample size is too small to make inferences from. The research is far too preliminary to risk vaccinating any ferret with this stuff. Tell them to get lost or to redo the work but don't vaccinate your ferret with this! Bill Killian commented that he doesn't think the benefit of microchips is justified given how many shelters use the technology. Well, I've had my ferrets "chipped." I have made a point of asking the local shelter whether they scan strays *other* than dogs and cats for microchips and they've told me they will. Whether they were just placating me, I can't tell, but if my guys were ever to escape, I'd call the shelter and tell them if any ferrets were turned in to scan them for their chips. Here in NC, strays are routinely euthanized because they are presumed to have been exposed to rabies, the only way to ensure their survival if found by the shelter is to prove that the ferret has been vaccinated and prove that the ferret on the rabies certificate is definately *my* ferret. In that setting, it's worth the expense to me. Just my $.02. Finally, growing up in Ohio, I know people who actually have gone cow-tipping. I never did because it's dangerous. Sometimes the cow wakes up right away (or isn't really sleep) and gets ticked off. You do *not* want a 600+ lb. animal chasing you in a dark pasture mined with meadow muffins. You only do this to bulls if you have a death wish :) --Jeff Johnston ([log in to unmask]) [Posted in FML issue 1721]