Vicky:
 
>A friend of mine at work told me she had a ferret about 12 years ago that
>got spinal meningitis and had to be put down.... would like a vets opinion
>on this.  Is this something else I am going to have to worry about my
>ferrets getting?
 
I think there's a lot of inconsistency here.  While ferrets can get
meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain or
spinal cord.  Many bacteria can cause spinal meningitis in humans - the most
renowned of which is a bacteria from the genera Neisseria (but a lot of
others can do it, too.)
 
Now ferrets often get meningitis, but it is more common around the brain
than the spinal cord.  The portal of entry is often not identified, but ear
infections can cause it, as it is often a straight shot from the inner ear
to the membranes around the brain, up the nerves.
 
The bit about the raccoon feces I've never heard about.  Meningitis is so
rare, I wouldn't worry about it - there's enough other diseases to worry
about....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
Dept. of Veterinary Pathology               [log in to unmask]
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
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[Posted in FML issue 1704]