From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2007-12-16 18:16:15 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] BFFs and continued study of Yersinia vaccine
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, ferret-l@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
This article appeared today:
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695235247,00.html
including
> "The 10 ferrets released into Snake John are part of a larger study
> to determine the effectiveness of a vaccine developed for the
> sylvatic plague, which is the prairie dog version of the black
> plague," said Brian Maxfield, sensitive species biologist with the
> Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
>
> "The black-footed ferret preys almost exclusively on prairie dogs...
> [but] neither the ferret nor its prey have natural immunities to the
> plague."...
>
> "The study started in 2004," said Maxfield. "As part of the study,
> we get about 20 animals a year. The vaccine is given to half of the
> animals. The other half are control animals that are not vaccinated.
>
Here is the announcement of the vaccine 3 and 1/2 years ago:
> J Zoo Wildl Med. 2004 Jun;35(2):142-6.
> Recombinant F1-V fusion protein protects black-footed ferrets
> (Mustela nigripes) against virulent Yersinia pestis infection.
>
> Rocke TE, Mencher J, Smith SR, Friedlander AM, Andrews GP, Baeten LA.
> U S Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, National
> Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA.
> Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are highly susceptible to
> sylvatic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, and this
> disease has severely hampered efforts to restore ferrets to their
> historic range. A study was conducted to assess the efficacy of
> vaccination of black-footed ferrets against plague using a
> recombinant protein vaccine, designated F1-V, developed by personnel
> at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
> Seven postreproductive black-footed ferrets were immunized with the
> vaccine, followed by two booster immunizations on days 23 and 154;
> three control black-footed ferrets received a placebo. After the
> second immunization, antibody titers to both F1 and V antigen were
> found to be significantly higher in vaccinates than controls. On
> challenge with 7,800 colony-forming units of virulent plague by s.c.
> injection, the three control animals died within 3 days, but six of
> seven vaccinates survived with no ill effects. The seventh vaccinate
> died on day 8. These results indicate that black-footed ferrets can
> be immunized against plague induced by the s.c. route, similar to
> fleabite injection.
> PMID: 15305507 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
>
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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