Communal carrion feeding by ferrets may facilitate intraspecific and interspecific transmission of bovine tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium bovis) by the consumption of contaminated carrion, fighting, or close-contact activities. Cannibalism may be one mechanism by which tuberculosis is transmitted within ferret populations. Our results also suggest that possums may acquire infection from carrion, despite being mainly herbivorous.

In New Zealand, the ferret (Mustela furo) preys upon, and therefore could be threatening, some endemic species and may be involved in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) to domestic stock. The diet of the ferret was studied from prey remains in the digestive tracts of 277 live-trapped animals from Otago and Southland. Lagomorphs constituted 77% of the diet by weight and were identified in 65% of the ferrets sampled. Other important items were hedgehogs (Erinaceus europeus), possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), and birds. There were no statistically significant differences in the diets of male and female ferrets except a general trend for females to eat smaller prey items. As lagomorphs are such important prey, rabbit control operations may result in short-term increased predation on endemic species; and/or increased consumption of species that serve as a source of infection of Tb (i.e., possums and possibly hedgehogs); and/or a long-term decline in the density of ferrets.

The distribution of gross lesions of Mycobacterium bovis was examined in 94 tuberculous feral ferrets (Mustela furo) collected from 1992 to 1995 from areas of Otago endemic for bovine tuberculosis. Overall, 56.4% of tuberculous ferrets had single-site lesions, 24.5% had multiple infections and 19.1% had generalised infections. The mesenteric lymph node was the most common site of infection (34.5% of all lesions), with the retropharyngeal (17%) and the prescapular lymph nodes (16.4%) also frequently infected. Only 2.9% of lesions involved the respiratory tract. Of single-site lesions, 60.4% were in the mesenteric lymph node. The high proportion of lesions in the alimentary tract suggests that the ingestion of infectious material, possibly carrion or prey, is an important source of infection. Peripheral lymph nodes contributed to 24.5% of all infections, suggesting that within species transmission by social contact such as fighting and mating also occurs. Open and respiratory lesions were found in 11.7% of tuberculous ferrets, which suggests that ferrets are potentially infectious and therefore may be involved in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis to domestic stock and other mammals. The distribution of gross M. bovis lesions in ferrets is compared to those observed in possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) and badgers (Meles meles).

Twenty-one properties in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand were surveyed for the presence of gross lesions due to Mycobacterium bovis infection in feral cats (Felis catus), ferrets (Mustela furo) and stoats (Mustela erminea) during 1993 and 1994. In total, 1293 cats, ferrets, stoats and weasels (Mustela nivalis) were examined for the presence of tuberculous lesions. The properties surveyed were selected according to the history and incidence of bovine tuberculosis infection in their cattle herds. Sixteen infected cattle properties were trapped in areas of Otago that were endemic for bovine tuberculosis and five properties were trapped in non-endemic areas that were considered to be free from tuberculosis infection in the cattle. No tuberculous cats, ferrets, stoats or weasels were found in non-endemic areas, and prevalence rates in the endemic areas were 0.9% for cats (n=215, 0.12

We tested scent lures made from the anal gland secretions of male and female ferrets (Mustela furo L.) at 0.1-2% concentration in "Albert", a solid, long-life, casein-based formulation, as attractants for feral ferrets in winter and spring. Live traps at 10 study sites in Canterbury and Otago lured with 2% female scent caught significantly more ferrets (1.00 per 100 corrected trap nights) than those lured with a fish-based paste (0 per 100 CTN), and at least twice as many as those lured with male scent or lower concentrations of female scent. The traps lured with the 2% female scent caught both male and female ferrets in approximately equal numbers, at a time of year when it is sometimes difficult to capture females. Capture rates of female ferrets increased with increasing female scent lure concentration, but this response was not shown by male ferrets, nor was it shown by either sex to increases in concentration of male scent lures. The results of this study have confirmed the findings of previous studies about the potential of ferret anal gland secretions as lures for ferrets. Further research is needed, using radiotelemetry, to determine what proportion of the ferret population is attracted to these lures compared with traditional rabbit meat lures, and whether this varies seasonally.