From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-05-14 19:27:58 UTC
Subject: RE: Along the Vacc question threads
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4354911.1116098879018.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
> I don't know that this is a law or anything, just recommendations- but it=
does give the ferret owner something to fight with if the vet or individua=
l does want to put the ferret down.
------
Okay, this nuance may actually be one of the few things on which I know mor=
e than anyone else here. After the Compendium of Animal Rabies Control and=
Prevention was changed in Nov. 1997 (taking effect Jan 1998) due to the ex=
tensive work done by the CDC and colleages I followed up with the authoriti=
es in the military, the states, the territories/protectorates, etc. (Milit=
ary, BTW, follows the laws of whichever state they are in for rabies regs.)=
This was major endeavor which took a huge amount of work and actually tho=
usands of our dollars since not only were many states whcih didn't send rep=
s to the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian meeting b=
eing made aware (therefore needing all the materials) but many places neede=
d the full write-up on all of these authorities because a number of states =
required legislation changes to follow the new compendium changes.
The bottom line is that the states vary WIDELY in how public health issues =
are handled. Many simply follow the compendium since it is so well done, B=
UT that is not true for all. In some states if a person who is injured des=
ires any injuring animal's death then the animal will die for testing. In =
others there is a court case in such a situation. In others the guidelines=
of the compendium take precedent. Which happens may also vary with the na=
ture of the injury, for instance a child with multiple face bites is more l=
ikley to elicit a stronger and more deadly response to the animal due to th=
e much faster time that the virus could reach the brain than an adult with =
an ankle bite (which can actually take quite a while in that situation, bas=
ed upon a paper on a woman with a form of bat rabies not found in the conti=
nent to which she moved before showing illness). To make it harder in some=
states LOCAL public health departments have more power than the state ones=
so the state can only make a recommendation. State response may also vary =
depending on if the human is unable for some reason to have a rabies shot.
Even after 7 years since the compendium has been changed a person can still=
run into medical personnel -- even some emergency room ones -- who do not =
know that that there has been an effective rabies vaccine with USDA approva=
l for use in ferrets for about 17 years, and also does not know of the exte=
nsive research work done and the change in the compendium.
The following are important things to keep on hand, and I think any shelter=
should display them!
http://www.avma.org/pubhlth/rabcont.asp The Compendium of Animal Rabies Con=
trol =
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Ques&Ans/q&a.htm Easy to read rabies =
Q&A
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