From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-12-31 18:26:36 UTC
Subject: RE: Help With Unknown Deadly Virus
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3025497.1104517596850.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
I just recalled something. There was a mutant coccidia strain years ago (maybe about 7?) which hit part of the NE which had similarities in presentation, rate of infection (though I don't recall any humans getting it) and death rate in infected animals was 100%. What would happen was the coccidia would bloom at the same time and the animals would bleed out.
Here is what worked: all humans took extreme precautions against speading the disease as taught by veterinarians.
NO animals left or were brought into the affected locations for MONTHS except for vet visits with the vet hospitals knowing the extreme pracautions being taken. There were no sales, no adoptions, no new ferrets taken in in any of the locations affected. No visitors were allowed -- only people who knew the precautions and took them. All individuals took Albon for a longer than normal course and were observed for months afterward.
Any locations to which animals may have gone for a while before precautions were put into place were alerted and began the same methods.
This combination resulted in the strain of fatal coccidia dying out. It was exactly what was needed and it worked exactly as it should have done to end a terrible strain of that parasite.