From:
megs_a_sweetie
Date: 2002-02-04 19:14:00 UTC
Subject: Re: ADV: an MF statement
I would like to test my ferts for peace of mind...could someone
tell me which of the 2 tests is more accurate? Thanks!
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Sukie Crandall <sukiecrandall@t...>
wrote:
>
> --
> I enquired and just got a note back from the president of Marshall
> Farms who replied, "We do test a cross section of the population on
a
> regular basis and have not had a positive test." for how they check
> at their facility (and this would be a good thing to ask other
> breeders, distributors, pet stores, etc. about by anyone who is
> interested). Any speculative or political replies will be
rejected;
> quotes on such practises from the places themselves are okay unless
> this conversation gets out of hand.
>
> Like the vet, Dr. Ruth Heller (who knows her stuff and can discuss
> this professional to professional) pointed out it can take only two
> weeks after exposure for that exposure to show up in testing. That
> means that if it turns out to not be a false positive (which has to
> be determined FIRST) then there are multiple possible locations
where
> exposure may have occurred. No reason to run around panicking;
let's
> get actual FACTS first.
>
> I do not know why there have been so many cases recently (about 5)
of
> people going after vets, breeders, and ferret-product manufacturers
> BEFORE getting any real proof of culpability, but it is uncalled
for
> and harmful. Let's not panic, and instead wait for enough
> information. We don't even know if there really is an exposure OR
> infection in that kit, yet. When there are actual facts then those
> can be presented, but a do-at-home test has a good chance of a
false
> result from multiple causes. NO test is 100% accurate (as any here
> who have had a serious illness in their human family know for that,
> too) and at-home tests are typically prone to more error.