Here are segments of the descriptions of the rare disease TB in ferrets
from vet texts (Obviously, due to copyright law I can not give huge
quotes so if you want more crack the books :-) .).
 
From _Essentials of Ferrets, a guide for practioners_ (Purcell):
>The source is usually ingestion of contaminated raw meat, poultry, or
>dairy products...
>Clinical signs of TB are primarily related to granulomatous entiritis
>and include anorexia, vomiting, weight loss, debilitation, and diarrhea.
>The disease invades the mesenteric and abdominal lymph nodes and may lead
>to emaciation and paralysis of the adductor muscles of the pelvic limbs
 
As you can see from that it is possible for people to have ferrets with
TB but think that it is something else.  You can also see why our Chiclet
was tested for it given the way she presented with the mystery disease
of the last two years before that disease was seen to be its own entity.
BTW, we are in the U.S.  where it is rare but does happen at times.  Some
other things it can look like include
 
>Proliferative enteritis, salmonellosis, parasites, GI foreign bodies,
>and neoplasia
 
(Note that some vet and vet text quotes on salmonellosis in ferrets and
how rapidly that rare disease is fatal) can be found in the archives of
the FML and FHL and in a recent FML.)
 
>No treatment is available at this time, and euthanasia is recommended...
 
From _Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery_ (Lewington) (Which is a
really cool book with topics not covered or not well covered in many
of the U.S. texts.  He prefers balanced home prepared foods to kibble,
BTW -- like I said opinions vary on that score.  There is also a British
text I hope to be able to fit into my budget at some time.):
 
>Pet ferret cases of TB were recorded in Germany in 1997
>
>In New Zealand... feral..  vector... along with possums, deer, pigs,
>goats, cats, and stoats...
 
There is more on this in the section and on how feral "ferrets" using
rabbit borrows may serve as a vector for a different disease that rabbits
have so decreasing the polecat/ferret population may allow for a marked
increase in the rabbit population which brings other risks to NZ
agriculture.
 
>May 1994 report on ferrets, weasels, stoats and cats, tuberculosis
>in many cases is considered to come from eating infected carcasses
 
>New Zealand fitch farms in their heyday had problems of TB in ferrets
>due to the eating of infected meat... use of possum meat fro feeding
>working ferrets may be why ferrets get the assumed notoriety...
 
>Signs of weakness and wasting... could be confused with Aleutian
>Disease and hind leg weakness with botulism ... weight loss, anorexia,
>lethargy and death.
[Posted in FML issue 4784]