Perhaps they won't use them in labs anymore-- since they are nasty
biters and expensive.. .. one could hope ::sigh::

<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/health/research/05flu.html?no_interstitial>

"There were no suitable test animals. Mice can be infected with the
influenza virus but do not transmit it. Ferrets can be infected and
transmit the virus, but they are somewhat large, they bite and they
are expensive, so researchers would rather not work with them. "

[Posted in FML 5817]