From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-07-18 23:36:00 UTC
Subject: Re:distemper vaccines
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Karen Purcell, DVM" <drkaren@w...>
wrote:
> Someone asked:
>
> > I have heard of so many cases where ferrets have had a severe
reaction
> > to the distemper vaccines that it has really worried me. My
oldest is
> > going on 2 1/2 years old and he hasn't had it since we got him. I
at
> > first didn't know he was suppose to get this and when we got our
second
> > one a year later I found this out.
> >
> > Now, I haven't done it cause of all the stories about the
reaction alot
> > of ferrets seem to have. I even have a friend here who's ferret
has had
> > a severe reaction and has to have other shots to keep her from
reacting
> > to it.
> >SNIP>
>
> For those who haven't heard, Merial got the go ahead from the
USDA
> this past weekend for the new recombinant DNA ferret distemper
> vaccine. I for one will be ordering it ASAP - the number of
> reactions during clinical trials was 1/147 ferrets, without
> pre-treatment. No reactions found in 300 lab ferrets tested.
Sounds
> good to me,
>
>
> -Dr. Karen
>
There are a tremendous number of people responsible for bringng this
vaccine to market, but I think that the ferret community should
congratulate itself firs and foremeost. The hundreds of letters that
went to Merial months ago were very instrumental in getting them to
test the vaccine in ferrets. This is a terrific example of what we
can accomplish when we band together. I am hopeful that someday
soon, anaphylactic vaccine reactions in ferrets will only be a
distant memory.
Bruce Williams