I do NOT know if this is one that also breeds ferrets but a number of them do (for fitch fur and with "extras" sometimes hitting the pet market, but sadly many fur farm ferrets have no behavioral adjustments made for home living and often need a LOT of gentle training) The indicated origin of the infection, uncooked poultry, surprised me. Influenza is not among the diseases I can offhand recall seeing listed as being given to mustelids from raw foods, but I don't have time right now to check the second edition of _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret_ which is the best source of info on that topic that I have found to date. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22362526 Full text for subscribers: http://vdi.sagepub.com/content/24/2/388.long BEGIN QUOTE J Vet Diagn Invest. 2012 Mar;24(2):388-91. Epub 2011 Dec 8. Naturally occurring Influenza A virus subtype H1N2 infection in a Midwest United States mink (Mustela vison) ranch. Yoon KJ, Schwartz K, Sun D, Zhang J, Hildebrandt H. Source Kyoung-Jin Yoon, Iowa State University, Veterinary Medicine Research Institute, Building 1, 1802 University Boulevard, Ames, IA 50011 Abstract Influenza A virus (FLUAV) causes acute respiratory disease in humans and a variety of animal species. The virus tends to remain within the species of origin; nonetheless, naturally occurring cross-species transmission of FLUAV has been periodically documented. Multiple cross-species transmissions of FLUAV have been reported from companion animals and captive wild animals, neither of which is historically considered as natural hosts of FLUAV. In the fall of 2010, mink (Mustela vison) inhabiting a 15,000-head mink farm in the Midwest United States experienced persistent severe respiratory distress and nose and/or mouth bleeding. Mink losses averaged approximately 10 animals per day. Six dead mink at 6 months of age were submitted to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for diagnostic investigation. Gross and microscopic examinations revealed that all 6 mink had hemorrhagic bronchointerstitial pneumonia. Hemolytic Escherichia coli was isolated from lungs, probably accounting for hemorrhagic pneumonia. All animals tested negative for Canine distemper virus and Aleutian mink disease virus. Interestingly, FLUAV of H1N2 subtype, which contained the matrix gene of swine lineage, was detected in the lungs. Serological follow-up on mink that remained in the ranch until pelting also confirmed that the ranch had been exposed to FLUAV of H1 subtype (ô clade). The case study suggests that FLUAV should be included in the differential diagnosis when mink experience epidemics of respiratory disease. Since the source of FLUAV appeared to be uncooked turkey meat, feeding animals fully cooked ration should be considered as a preventive measure. END QUOTE [addendum sent later (1)]: I found myself just now wondering if the turkeys were known to have been infected and this was done instead of destruction without sale, or if the infection had not yet been spotted in the birds. Poultry with influenza is not supposed to enter the human foodstream but somtimes does before he infection is spotted. Also, i do not recall reading that cooking will destroy influenza virus though it would not surprise me. [addendum sent later (2)]: I do not know of there are months in which poultry is most likely to get avian influenza. If there are then it might pay t use extra caution during those specific months. Anyone have info on that score? I DID find this but do not have time to go through it carefully. Should anyone here grow his or her own poultry or get it from a local source that can be inspected by you this lists symptoms in the birds: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps032 Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html "All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow." (2010, Steve Crandall) [Posted in FML 7358]