From:
brettm@uga.edu
Date: 2006-03-21 19:32:57 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Idaho ADV tests
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
I received an email asking if I knew anything about the accuracy of the lab at Blue Cross Animal Hospital and the qualifications of the personnel doing the CEP tests. I didn't, so I did the obvious thing and called the lab to ask. In case there are others with these questions, I thought I'd go ahead and post my findings.
Idaho is one of the five largest mink-producing states. The BCAH lab has been testing mink for 25 years, and does about 30,000 tests per year. They use the United Vaccines testing protocol, and purchase their reagents (testing chemicals) from UV. Since they started taking ferret cases, they've been doing about 50 per month. With the ferrets, unlike the mink, they always run double samples as a cross check.
Now, I don't personally know any mink ranchers, but I know livestock farmers in general, being in the animal science racket myself. I am quite certain that BCAH would not be in the business of doing these tests if the ranchers found them to be inaccurate. Too many false positive or negative results would cost them a ton of money, and they wouldn't sit still for it. So, the lab's 25-year track record seems to speak for itself. (Which is not to say that every test will be perfect. ANY lab can screw up a test. But, I just don't see any reason not to trust this lab at this point.)
Brett
*SLMW 1.0* This message was created without animal testing.
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