title: Ferret as a potential reservoir for human campylobacteriosis.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission*; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002335:Carnivora / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004199:Disease Vectors; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005289:Ferrets / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin