>>To: [log in to unmask] (Susie Sherman) >From: West End Animal Hospital >Subject: Re: Ferret Rabies> > >Dr. Rupprecht called me back today. I was particularly anxious to speak with >him because what I thought I knew and what Howard Davis said in the post you >sent are very different things. The first thing Dr.R. said was if he had >spent all the time on the phone with people on his research instead, >it would probably be finished by now. He's frustrated because people do >not seem to understand what is really going on and are disseminating >erroneous information. > >Based on Howard's post, it doesn't appear that any end is in sight for this >project, and the facts are very different. First, the fox rabies portion was >already completed in Europe some time ago, and falls in line with the skunk >strain (ie, no shedding). Second, the final phase of the raccoon portion is >finishing anytime now. The bat portion is slated to begin as soon as the >funds are available, and CDC has no control over that. We all need to let >Morris Animal Foundation know that we want them to fund it, and we need to >send them money if we want to be taken seriously. If they get this project >funded soon, all the bat strains will be finished, all the results >published, and a quarantine recommendation made in time for the next >Compendium, which is late this year. Dr. R. fervently hopes and expects to >be finished this year, so he can "get on with his life." He's being bugged >to death by people who think he or CDC have some vested interest in >prolonging this whole ordeal. > >We, the ferret community, must focus all available energy and monies to >funding this last portion of the project so we may just GET IT DONE. We >should encourage everyone to send a donation NOW to Morris Animal Foundation >and have it tagged for the Ferret Rabies Research Project. I'm sending $50 >right now, and I encourage anyone who can spare $5 to send it! > >Morris Animal Foundation >45 Inverness Drive East >Englewood, CO 80112-5480 > >Specify Ferret Rabies Shedding Study Account > > >This is the time when we MUST all quit whining and fighting, and pull >together or this whole project will die a slow death and NEVER be finished. >Many more ferrets will die needlessly. I want to put a huge, very >noticeable post on FML about this. How would I go about it? > >That is what I was trying to tell Marie. She's expending a lot of energy on >something that will almost take care of itself if this project gets >finished, and it's so CLOSE I can taste it. Virtually all state health >department policies are dictated by CDC and the Rabies Compendium. If the >bat strain falls in the 10-day shed parameters (which everyone involved in >the research seems to expect), the CDC will officially and unequivocally >recommend a quarantine period and all state health officials will abide by >that, although we may have to shake a few trees to get the apples falling, >as it were. > >Dr. Kemmerer > >PS: Yes, I'd be very happy for you to publish our web address. Some people >may b**ch about the consult fee, but I simply can't afford to spend thirty >minutes a day giving out free advice. I'm a solo practitioner and I have to >make a living. Bill usually answers all the non-specific questions, and I >don't charge for those ("what's the best thing to feed a ferret?"). Specific >case consults can be time-consuming and tricky. [Posted in FML issue 1886]