From:
williamsb@comcast.net
Date: 2002-08-13 23:44:10 UTC
Subject: RE: West Nile: Is it a danger to ferrets?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7523536.1029282250664.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Dear Dan, Whiel ferrets can potentially contract it, no cases have been reported as far as I can tell. Ferrets likely do not come in contact with Culex mosquitoes terribly commonly. Birds appear to be the most likely reservoir of infection, with humans and horses serving as dead-end hosts. This is classic or many of the other arboviruses like VEE and WEE, and ferrets really play no part in the spread of those encephalitides either.
Not something that should keep you up at night.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
Author wrote:
> We've heard a lot lately in the news media about the West Nile virus. I've
> been waiting to see if it got mentioned here. Does anyone know if our ferts
> can contract it? I assume that minimizing their contact with mosquitoes is the
> best protection.
> Dan and his crew (Oscar, Felix, Natasha) and long-
> term house guest (Lakota)