http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21262121

BTW, in past year at least one location which used non-lethal ways of
testing influenza vaccines in ferrets has afterward adopted them out
to homes.

>Comp Med. 2010;60(5):364-368.
>A Nonlethal Young Domesticated Ferret (Mustela putorius furo) Model
>for Studying Pandemic Influenza Virus A/California/04/2009 (H1N1).
>Lednicky JA, Croutch CR, Lawrence SJ, Hamilton SB, Daniels DE,
>Astroff B.
>
>Energy and Life Sciences, Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City,
>Missouri, USA.
>Abstract
>Recent events have heightened the need for the rapid development of
>vaccines directed against pandemic influenza H1N1 viruses circulating
>during 2009 to 2010. The current study was conducted to establish a
>virus challenge dose for a subsequent CA/04 vaccine efficacy study in
>3-mo-old domesticated ferrets. An additional consideration in using
>CA/04 in ferrets is the selection of endpoints on which to base the
>challenge dose, given the potential nonlethality of this particular
>model. Four doses ranging from 10(4) to 10(7) TCID(50) units of CA/04
>per animal were administered by intranasal instillation to groups of
>male and female ferrets, and virus titers in nasal washes obtained 1,
>3, and 5 d thereafter were determined in MDCK cells. Dosed ferrets
>developed clinically mild infections. Peak virus titers occurred on
>day 3 after instillation regardless of dose. Virus-treated ferrets had
>less weight gain than did untreated ferrets. In conclusion, 3-mo-old
>ferrets can be infected with doses as low as 10(4) TCID(50) units of
>CA/04, and virus titers in nasal washes and decreased body weight gain
>can be used to assess the course of nonlethal infection of 3-mo-old
>ferrets by CA/04.
>
>PMID: 21262121 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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)
On change for its own sake: "You can go really fast if you just jump
off the cliff." (2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 6956]