Ferrets get Influenza A and tehy get bacterial sinus infections (which
can seem like colds.  They do NOT get regular colds which are caused by
rhinovirus (to the woe of pharmaceuticals who would love them as an
animal model).  See vet texts and pst posts in the FML and FHL Archives
on this since I am only repeating what vet pathologists have said.
 
Here is a past Bruce Williams post about strep throat:
 
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG1223
 and
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG3637
 
which say in part:
 
>However, Strep pyogenes is mildly infective for ferrets, but not
>especially so.  I would suggest good sanitation and hygiene here, and
>you should be OK.
>
>Streptococcus is infectious for a wide variety of mammals, but it will
>take quite a major exposure or injection of the organisms into the
ferret to result in clinical disease.
 
and
 
>Typically, ferrets are not considered to be carriers or victims of
>"strep throat".  Although rare, dogs have been implicated in carrying
>the classic cause of strep throat, the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes.
>
>However, many other bacteria have been "accused" of causing a syndrome
>like Strep throat - staphylococcus, Hemophilus influenzae, even
>Neisseria.  Ferret can conceivably contract staph infections from
>humans, but it is more likely that they will be hit by a meteor.
[Posted in FML issue 4495]