MF, Triple F, and sometimes some smaller others supply ferrets for
research purposes.  I think there are about 5 sources here which can
be found if you look in the FML Archives (address in the header of each
day's FML), and certainly those archives list a number of research
projects using ferrets.  If she just looks in pubmed, or looks up the
lab animal health guides of multiple research facilities she will see.
One of the worst places for research chimp abuse was for a time also
breeding and supplying ferrets if I recall right from one past lab animal
purchase list found in Googling years ago.
 
BTW, there is a history of some of these ferrets later being adopted out.
MF has long had a program where is supplies free retired breeders for vet
students to learn sterilization on as long as the vet school promises
that all will be placed with vet students or vet professors.  The aim
is also to improve the education about ferrets by having them in the
families of such experts.  There are people here on the FML who have
adopted ferrets who were used in several types of medical research
including influenza vaccine development, and in training for how to
intubate a premature baby.  How the ferrets were treated varies very
widely.
 
Also just with a quick Google:
http://www.directorypub.com/SRCH/proddetail.php?
aid=00035&prodid=Ferrets&pub_id=6000037
http://www.nocompromise.org/issues/15suppntoz.html
http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/full/79/7/4201
http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/bss/ohs/dogsbred.htm
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/ferrets/ferrets2.htm
http://oacu.od.nih.gov/ARAC/FinalHousingmultiplef0304.pdf (a pdf)
http://www.aalas.org/education/conferences/
2005_NM/exhibpros/2005_Exhibitor_Prospectus.pdf -   (a pdf)
etc.
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
interesting article:
http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2001/07_01/morrison.htm
(Yeah, I read a number of things on zoonoses -- just interesting.)
[Posted in FML issue 4833]