I made the requisite phone calls (it took three) to find out what happens to
domestic ferrets who bite humans in Montana.  It was an interesting, and in
this case encouraging, exercise, and I recommend everyone try it.  Montana
turns out to be a quarantine state ("we treat ferrets the same as cats and
dogs").  I don't have the exact figures yet, but the person who does the
testing told me only 1-2 ferrets a year are killed and tested in Montana,
and (surprise!) none have ever tested positive.
 
I had to call another office to request the exact numbers in writing, and I
got a bit of a grilling there about why I wanted them.  Turns out the person
who guards the database is a ferret owner herself, and we ended up having a
very pleasant conversation!
 
-- Kim, with motivational assistance from Khaz, Tarkio, McKenzie & Ferrari
[Posted in FML issue 1933]