What kind of a leap was that? A fur farm with 15,000 animals lost an average of 10 animals per day (for how many days? - UNKNOWN). 6 dead kits all 6 months old submitted for evaluation and found to have expired from hemorrhagic bronchointerstitial pneumonia. The bacteria: Hemolytic Escherichia coli was found in their lungs and THIS was what the lab attributed to the mink kits deaths from pneumonia. FLUAV (Flu A Virus) is a naturally occurring virus - that as the abstract said - usually stays within the species it originally infects, but CAN cross contaminate companion and wild animals. Ferrets are well known to be susceptible to FLU viruses. But the abstract doesn't say the FLUAV is what killed the mink. Pneumonia from E. Coli did. The WHO (World Health Organization) has this to say: http://www.who.int/zoonoses/diseases/animal_influenza/en/index.html "Influenza is a disease common to man and a limited number of lower animal species mainly horses, pigs, domestic and wild birds, wild aquatic mammals such as seals and whales, minks and farmed carnivores; and "Influenza type A is distributed worldwide and usually causes a mild respiratory disease in humans and animals." How is it that a worldwide common virus is now a danger if feeding raw food to our ferrets? The comment about uncooked turkey being fed to those mink is very vague - they didn't say there was any certainty of the FLU A Virus being IN the raw turkey. Their term used was "appeared to be the source" - the raw turkey would be more apt to be the source of the E. coli? The E. Coli which caused the pneumonia? There were no other factors explained in the deaths of the mink - the condition of the raw turkey, the mink's nutrition, body weight, cage stress, new animal introductions, vaccination stress (if any), weather conditions, shelter conditions etc. All would be factors influencing how the animals immune systems would be able to fend off the virus and the bacteria. Since this virus is a worldwide common virus - does that translate to all these species are eating raw meats? I highly doubt it! Any successful viral infection is the result of a compromised immune system. Either the infected organism's immune system is already weakened or hasn't had exposure to manufacture antibodies yet. The relative health of the animal, age, medicinal and nutritional support it gets is usually what brings the infection under control. Take a look at a typical mink farm set up: http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/sep2009/3minks_in_cage_with_slop_on_top3848989484_894bf2defc_b.jpg>< Its not likely these mink got ANY kind of medicinal or supportive therapies. At the rate of 10 per day out of 15,000 that's about .0006667 percent loss! Losses from insulinoma are MUCH higher than that in any home with multiple ferrets! Were the 6 kits submitted for testing all from the same litter? UNKNOWN! There are way too many variables and unknowns in this scene to make the leap that feeding raw meat harbors flu virus! Definite FAIL for that abstract! Cheers, Kim Please visit: for ferret help and info: http://holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi http://ferretopia.proboards51.com/index.cgi yahoo groups Natural Ferrets [Posted in FML 7359]