I have heard from Dr. Bruce Williams that ferrets are quite susceptible
to Cryptococcus gattii. Dr. Williams is an veterinary pathologist with
expert knowledge on ferrets.

That pathogen is also a consideration here in North America, and if
memory serves in other locations besides Europe and N America but I
would have to check.

Here are a few somewhat recent pieces on it as an emerging pathogen
in North America:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/14/125

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22734955

http://www.scilogs.com/in_scientio_veritas/cryptococcus-saga-part-cinq/

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5928a1.htm

Mentions of additional locations, such as Australia, and parts of South
America:
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100421-new-fungus-cryptococcus-gattii-deadly-health-science/>

Ferrets are quite susceptible and nosing around in soil provides ready
exposure. Following infection in pets can give an idea of prevalence
in an area.

I do NOT know if ferret symptoms track the human ones in this
Australian presentation on the pathogenic fungus:

http://www.asid.net.au/documents/item/183

http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/6/789.long

I am trying to remember. TRESSIE, is this the pathogen found in some
ferrets from one of the Canadian ferret farms?

Parts of Africa, SE Asia, and Mexico having it are also mentioned in
this resource:
<http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Fungal_Descriptions/Yeasts/Cryptococcus/C_gattii.html>

So, it appears that veterinarians need to take this pathogen into
account pretty much everywhere people have ferrets as pets. It is
an emerging pathogen in North America, Europe, Australia, etc.

Readers on the FML: I might have accidentally not copied a mail on this
topic to the FML but you can read it and use its links from the Ferret
Health List on Yahoogroups even if not a member there.

[Posted in FML 8140]