From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2011-07-25 15:26:16 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Canine Distemper transmission
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
On Jul 25, 2011, at 8:53 AM, Jeff wrote:
> If a ferret is a carrier of Canine Distemper but shows no signs of the disease itself, will vaccinating that ferret with Purevax prevent it from continuing to have the ability to spread the disease? And, if so, how long after vaccination will it no longer be a carrier?
I can not see any mechanism for vaccine preventing shedding of the virus in an already infected animal.
Vaccination is not a treatment; vaccination is preventative (for most but not all).
Vaccination presents the body with a small sample of material similar enough to the disease that it can educate the immune system to recognize the invading disease more rapidly and have a chance of killing it off when it is comprised of just a few cells. There are factors which can prevent it for working or make it work less. Some individuals do not have their immune systems learn well, some have weakened immune systems later so it works less well (example include individuals on steroids, or on chemo, or who are elderly), sometimes the disease is very strong and too rapid in replication for the body to fight it.
Diseases that replicate in the brain can be especially hard to treat, BTW.
The reason that animals are vaccinated in a shelter outbreak is because some will not have been exposed enough to contract the illness and for at least some of those getting their titer levels up might protect them in time.
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/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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