For your records: Bruce Williams and Hanan Caine told me not to worry
about about Steve's shingles in relation to ferrets.  Bruce wrote:
 
>Sukie - Unless they are actually monkeys in disguise, Steve's shingles
>should be of no consequence to them.  actually, shingles is not really
>contagious to other primates - it's the chicken pox that hops between
>individuals.
 
>Herpesviruses are generally very species or genus-specific, with the
>exception of pseudorabies.
[Posted in FML issue 3120]