Ferret as a potential reservoir for human campylobacteriosis.

A survey was conducted to determine the frequency of Campylobacter fetus subsp jejuni in feces of ferrets purchased for use in biomedical research. Over a 12-month period, 168 ferrets from 2 commercial breeders were examined by bacteriologic cultural procedures for Campylobacter spp; 61% were culturally positive for C fetus subsp jejuni. In a therapeutic trial with 16 ferrets shedding C fetus subsp jejuni in feces, erythromycin given orally failed to eliminate intestinal carriage of the organism in 15 of the animals.