From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-01-02 19:29:37 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: Help With Unknown Deadly Virus
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4912957.1104694177572.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
>The shelter was told to get rid of the turtles and birds and to strip the place down >from top to bottom disinfect every inch before bring in an other animal and to be >careful of any humans that visit the home until this is done some people and >animals are more susceptible then others to picking this up. Has any one ever >heard of that? I was there Fri and Sat never touched the turtle but was around >them I feel fine so far.
Yes, vulnerability varies not only across species but also across individuals, so what can barely touch one person or ferret can at the same time carry extreme health risk -- even the chance of death -- for another.
Reptiles and birds have a history of being salmonella sources. (Remember all those warnings to not give little children pet turtles, and all the warnings to cook chicken and turkey thoroughly and to extremely carefully clean any cutting boards they have been on before letting any other food touch the boards?)
It is also important to know that there have been some recent reports in the U.S. of especially vulnerable people (infants, elderly, those with compromised immune systems or compromised health) getting salmonella for infected cats and dogs (and I suspect it could also happen with ferrets) instead of from the same source which infected those cats and dogs.
Again, we won't know till testing is done if what is being encountered is Salmonella. It was good to read that ther is a vet involved now who is calling the proper authorities.