Granted, this is someone who doesn't know how to interact w ferrets, but the reasons behind influenza (which ferrets and humans get) being more common in winter may be better understood now according to the Live Science article: 1. Colder and drier conditions help the virus survive better between hosts 2. Those conditions also move away water at the virus, allowing the virus to remain airborne longer 3. Drier conditions reduce the mucus barrier which otherwise could help stop infection. 4. Less mucus also means an inability to expel the virus before it can take hold. http://www.livescience.com/health/071018-flu-season.html The study is in PLoS (Public Library of Science, a freely available source) Pathogens and the full article may be found here: <http://pathogens.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.ppat.0030151> Abstract: BEGIN QUOTE Influenza Virus Transmission Is Dependent on Relative Humidity and Temperature Anice C. Lowen1*, Samira Mubareka1, John Steel1, Peter Palese1,2* 1 Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America, 2 Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America Using the guinea pig as a model host, we show that aerosol spread of influenza virus is dependent upon both ambient relative humidity and temperature. Twenty experiments performed at relative humidities from 20% to 80% and 5 degC, 20 degC, or 30 degC indicated that both cold and dry conditions favor transmission. The relationship between transmission via aerosols and relative humidity at 20 degC is similar to that previously reported for the stability of influenza viruses (except at high relative humidity, 80%), implying that the effects of humidity act largely at the level of the virus particle. For infected guinea pigs housed at 5 degC, the duration of peak shedding was approximately 40 h longer than that of animals housed at 20 degC; this increased shedding likely accounts for the enhanced transmission seen at 5 degC. To investigate the mechanism permitting prolonged viral growth, expression levels in the upper respiratory tract of several innate immune mediators were determined. Innate responses proved to be comparable between animals housed at 5 degC and 20 degC, suggesting that cold temperature (5 degC) does not impair the innate immune response in this system. Although the seasonal epidemiology of influenza is well characterized, the underlying reasons for predominant wintertime spread are not clear. We provide direct, experimental evidence to support the role of weather conditions in the dynamics of influenza and thereby address a long-standing question fundamental to the understanding of influenza epidemiology and evolution. END QUOTE Alternatively, a person can go to http://www.plos.org/ select and click on the pathogen journal from the menu on the reader's right then if it is not coming up on the first page select "more". There are rotating first pages. At least one contains a direct link but another is on coral. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5766]