ABSTRACT
Domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) occupy important niches as animal models in biomedical research. As evidenced by the number of citations in a web-based literature search, their eminent use today is in the field of virology, particularly in influenza-related projects. Ferrets have been represented in influenza research since the 1930s, but their role has expanded dramatically with concern for a human influenza pandemic from influenza A H5N1 and, more recently, from H1N1. Cephalic or lateral saphenous veins are accessible when small amounts of blood are needed; tuberculin or insulin syringes with small gauge needles are appropriate for these sites. Cystocentesis of a palpable urinary bladder in a well-restrained ferret can yield one or more milliliters of urine; a small gauge needle is appropriate. Functional tests carried out in other animal species are performed rarely in ferrets; to a considerable extent this is because such evaluations are not required to diagnose typical disease syndromes.
