Vicky: >A friend of mine at work told me she had a ferret about 12 years ago that >got spinal meningitis and had to be put down.... would like a vets opinion >on this. Is this something else I am going to have to worry about my >ferrets getting? I think there's a lot of inconsistency here. While ferrets can get meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain or spinal cord. Many bacteria can cause spinal meningitis in humans - the most renowned of which is a bacteria from the genera Neisseria (but a lot of others can do it, too.) Now ferrets often get meningitis, but it is more common around the brain than the spinal cord. The portal of entry is often not identified, but ear infections can cause it, as it is often a straight shot from the inner ear to the membranes around the brain, up the nerves. The bit about the raccoon feces I've never heard about. Meningitis is so rare, I wouldn't worry about it - there's enough other diseases to worry about.... Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP Chief Pathologist, AccuPath Dept. of Veterinary Pathology [log in to unmask] Armed Forces Institute of Pathology [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1704]