Mycobacterium avium and Klebsiella pneumoniae co-infection in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) - Case Report.

Introduction and Objective. Pets infected with zoonotic pathogens might become a source of infections for their owners, especially those who are immuno-compromised. The aim of this report is to describe a case of chronic, untreatable pneumonia in a domestic ferret. Materials and method. The subject was a 5-year-old female ferret suffering from recurrent pneumonia. Ante-mortally, swabs from the nasal cavity, alveolus and throat were collected from the animal. Post-mortally, lesioned organ fragments were collected. Standard microbiological testing was performed. Additionally, mycobacterial diagnosis including culture and molecular tests was performed. Results. The co-infection of Mycobacterium avium and Klebsiella pneumoniae was microbiologically confirmed. Conclusions. This case demonstrates the need to pay attention to the possibility of zoonotic pathogens in ferrets. Veterinarians diagnosing ferrets are potentially exposed to Mycobacteria spp. infections and other pathogens.