Mycobacterial infection in the ferret.

Mycobacteriosis is an important disease in the feral ferret (Mustela putorius furo) of New Zealand; elsewhere, reports of tuberculosis in the ferret are sporadic. Genus Mycobacterium consists of aerobic, non-spore-forming, gram-positive, nonmotile bacteria that characteristically feature a cell wall rich in mycolic acids and esters. The epidemiology of mycobacteriosis in the ferrets of New Zealand involves complex interactions between ferrets, possums, and livestock. Investigators have shown that the ferret is highly susceptible only to Mycobacterium bovis infection and is more resistant to infection by other Mycobacterium spp. The principal site of all mycobacterial infection in the ferret is the gastrointestinal tract.