From:
FHbytheSea@aol.com
Date: 2003-10-13 10:38:59 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: ECE Recovery Advice
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <120.25e31458.2cbbdac3@aol.com>
In a message dated 10/11/03 9:53:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
mjanke@miamiferret.org writes:
<< Yes, it was the Miami shelter that got hit big time back when ECE first
arrived on the scene (1993-94?), but I was not yet connected with the shelter.
Angela Espinet has to get full credit for single-handedly caring for 100+
ferrets, all infected with ECE at the same time. If you think taking care of one
or two with this terrible disease is tough (and it is!), you can imagine what
it would be like to have 100 ferrets infected with ECE at the same time.
I don't recall the exact numbers, but I believe around 15 were lost.
Considering how little was known about ECE at the time, that is a very small number.
I'm proud to have worked with Angela and I have learned a LOT from her,
having dealt with ECE in my own and seeing how she cared for others that had it. >>
Mike
It was 1994 - thats when my shelter was hit - we had 34 in at the time and
they all came down with it. I ended up having feeding tubes inserted in 2 of the
weakest, and lost none to "the green slimes" as we called it back then. Those
2 took more than 9 weeks to completely recover. What I always thought was the
strangest was that it was the middle-aged ferrets that got hit the worst -
3-5 years old..not the elderly or the babies.
We almost don't see ECE anymore - all the ferrets in my area have been
exposed already it seems.
Yeah, Dr. Williams helped the ferret community a greal deal by isolating the
coronavirus and helping to find ways of treating it..we are grateful!
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.org