http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1826023&dopt=Abstract
 
>J Gen Virol. 1991 Mar;72 ( Pt 3):589-94.
>
>Epidemiological and experimental studies on a new incident of
>transmissible mink encephalopathy.
>
>Marsh RF, Bessen RA, Lehmann S, Hartsough GR.
>
>Department of Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
>
>Epidemiological investigation of a new incident of transmissible mink
>encephalopathy (TME)... in 1985 revealed that the mink rancher had
>never fed sheep products to his mink but did feed them large amounts
>of products from fallen or sick dairy cattle.  To investigate the
>possibility that this occurrence of TME may have resulted from
>exposure to infected cattle, two Holstein bull calves were injected
>intracerebrally with mink brain from the Stetsonville ranch.  Each bull
>developed a fatal spongiform encephalopathy 18 and 19 months after
>inoculation, respectively, and both bovine brains passaged back into
>mink were highly pathogenic by either intracerebral or oral inoculation.
>These results suggest the presence of a previously unrecognized
>scrapie-like infection in cattle in the United States.
 
Mink aren't ferrets, but they sure are close...
 
Also:
http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/AnSci/BSE/TSE_Other_Animals.htm#tme
 
>TME (Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy)... mink on 'mink ranches' 1947
>in USA several outbreaks in the 1960s
>
>Origin/Cause
>possible feeding of bovine or ovine MBM; questionable Scrapie origin
>symptoms do not resemble TSEs in mink with experimental BSE no evidence
>of laterall (animal to animal) or vertical transmission (mother to
>young)...
>
>incubation period before clinical symptoms ~7mo
>only adults affected...
>confusion
>loss of cleanliness
>aimless circling
>weight loss
>hind-quarter ataxia
>somnolence...
>arching tail over the back like a squirrel
>unresponsive
>eventual death after ~7wk...
 
Locations included: USA, Canada, Finland, East Germany, Russia.
 
Remember the rarity of tranmissible spongiform encephalopathies, but this
is interesting in light of the needed improvements to better meat
inspection and banning use of such diseased animals in human or pet
food...
[Posted in FML issue 4375]