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An Update from the ADV Grant Fund Committee
The American Ferret Association (AFA) and the League of Independent
Ferret Enthusiasts (LIFE) are joining forces against Aleutians Disease
Virus (ADV), a parvovirus which affects ferrets, mink and several other
species. There is no cure, and the disease is generally terminal in
affected ferrets.
In order to further ADV research, an ADV Grant Fund Committee has been
established. All proceeds from the Grant Fund will be awarded to one
or more grant recipients for the purpose of furthering ADV-related studies.
Fundraising
Efforts to Date... Over
$3,700 Has
Been Raised!
The ADV Grant Fund Committee is collecting funds from a variety of
sources including, but not limited to: donations and raffles at ferret
shows across the U.S., contributions mailed or phoned into the Committee
from concerned ferret owners, internet fund transfers sent to the
AFA via PayPal, gifts made in response to publicity in the American
Ferret Report, and finally donations directly from people who have
ADV positive ferrets.
| If you would like to
make a tax-deductable donation, please call 1-888-FERRET-1, mail
a check to the ADV Grant Fund c/o AFA, PO Box 255 Crownsville
MD 21032, or send a payment to afa@ferret.org via PayPal (be sure
write "ADV Grant Fund Donation" in the notes field). |
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The ADV Grant Review Board
will review proposals submitted to the Committee from research scientists
from across the USA and will allocate the appropriate funds to those
research projects that the Board finds the the most promising.
| If you are a researcher
interested in submitting a grant proposal, please contact the
American Ferret Association at 1-888-FERRET-1 or afa@ferret.org. |
ADV
Grant Review Board Members
The members of the ADV Grant Review Board consist of veterinarians,
ferret breeders, ferret shelter directors, members of the AFA, members
of the League of Independent Ferret Enthusiasts (LIFE), and medical
doctors.
- Dr. James G. Fox - Professor
and Director of Comparative Medicine at M.I.T.
- Dr. Marshall Bloom M.D.
- Medical Officer (Research) for the Laboratory of Persistent Viral
Diseases, NIAID, NIH
- Dr. Jennifer Au - a ferret-knowledgable
veterinarian from VA
- Dr. Leo V. Gates III, DVM
- from the Universal City Animal Hospital in Universal City, TX
- Ms. Sally Heber - AFA Treasurer
& Judges' Administrator
- Mr. Chris Palaski - AFA
Health Affairs Committee Director
- Ms. Anne Ryan - LIFE President
As you can see, these members compose a wide variety of ferret knowledgable
minds from around the country, all focused on what is going to be the
most promising new research for ferrets and ADV in the future.
Where
Are We Now?
Four proposals were submitted, ranging in focus from ADV testing to
vaccine development research. In November, these proposals were mailed
to all members of the Review Committee, and now each member of the Board
is reviewing them. While the review was to be completed by December
15th, that deadline has been extended until January 15th of 2001 to
allow a more thorough review of the materials presented and to permit
additional meeting time for Board members.
Where
Are We Going?
The funds will be awarded according to the ADV Grant Review Board's
decision to be made in February 2001. Depending upon the Committee's
recommendation, the funds will be awarded to one or more proposals.
Each Committee member will recommend what percentage of the funds should
be allotted to each researcher.
How
Will the Board Decide?
The selection of the candidate will involve
- a careful inspection of
his or her scientific practices
- the amount of money that
the average ferret owner will have to spend to obtain the testing/treatment
offered by these proposals
- the viability of the test
itself (i.e. will it give us more information than the United CEP
test that is currently being used to test for ADV. The CEP test
provides a positive or negative result only)
- and, of course the overall
effect that it wil have on ferrets in general.
For example, if Candidate #1 is developing a test that will allow the
use of urine/saliva to test for ADV instead of blood, that may be a
very practical approach to the general public. However, if each test
is going to cost $100 dollars and will only tell us what we already
know via the United CEP testing (i.e. a positive or negative) then that
is more than likely not going to be a great help to ferrets or ferret
owners in the long run.
There are many factors involved in making this decision, and none of
of them will be taken lightly. We want to award your hard earned donations
to the best possible research hope for ferrets.
Future
Plans
The ADV Grant Fund Committee will continue in its efforts to raise funds
for and awareness of ADV in the ferret community. When the Fund's coffers
once again reach $4,000, a new ADV Grant Review Board will be convened
so that new ADV research projects may benefit and so that the donations
can again be allocated to the most promising cause.
Thank you for your time and
patience. The ADV Grant Fund Committee has been working hard for the
past few month to fund the most promising ferret research into ADV.
Any questions regarding the ADV Grant Fund Committee or ADV in general
may be directed to the AFA Health Affairs Committee Director/ADV Grant
Fund Committee Project Manager, Mr. Christopher C. Palaski at ChrisAndTara@ferretrescue.com
or you may contact the American Ferret Association at 1-888-FERRET-1
or afa@ferret.org.
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