Ferret Flu?!

[Deleted]

I just typed this whole big thing out, and it decided to wipe it when i clicked backspace so here it goes again!

Everyone besides me in my household has been sick within the past couple weeks. We had visitors (with small kids) come over, and they dropped all their germs over here. They all became sick the next day, leaving us to sit in their pre-sick germs. These visitors also handled the ferrets. I made sure the kids sanitized before and after each ferret, but I wasn't as strict as I should have been with the adults :/ this was 2 weeks ago.
This week, my mom and her BF battled a bad cold. her bf got better, and was immediately sick again. he went to the hospital tonight because it was so bad, and they said it was the Norovirus? not sure if it is zoonotic, but it is just like the flu, it is 3 or so horrendous days of non stop puke, diarrhea, headaches, and sore muscles. He doesn't ever handle the ferrets, but things spread anyways. I haven't caught it yet, thankfully. Since I'm on sick-watch, I'm not handling the ferrets, I feel bad, but it's for the best, they'll hopefully thank me later. I sanitize before and after giving them food/water, cleaning the cage, and doing small maintenance to them and the cage.

Tonight while cleaning the litter box, there were a few really bad stools in there. almost diarrhea, but more wet-sand, pancake looking. I have it narrowed down to either charlotte or emmett. Sebastian left me a nice "sample" in his favorite corner, which proved to be a normal stool.

Charlotte is my main concern. She is older- 6 or 7, frail from never fully recovering from ECE a year ago, and I'm pretty sure a bad virus would kill her. I did just watch her eat and drink though.

I have all three split up to hopefully figure out who the culprit is, and hopefully reduce the chances of them all getting sick if it is in fact them getting this virus. sebastian in downstairs FN penthouse, emmett in the upstairs portion, and charlotte in a large spiffed up dog kennel. so far, no "evidence"

tomorrow will be a major deep cleaning of everything they normally get into, their cage, blankets, covers, hammock, bowls, toys, etc :/

TL;DR- can they catch the norovirus? if so, is there anything i can do for them? any other precautions I should take? am I just being silly?

thanks everyone- I don't want to get too worked up about possible nasty vet bills, but UHG....

[Heather]

Yes and no you're not being silly. You can do nothing other than what you would do normally to prevent viral spread. Keep a close eye on them. Have a couple of jars of baby food on hand in your first aid kit, along with some pumpkin and pedialyte (or homemade electrolyte balancer). Make sure you wash your hands when handling them and their food and water. I don't handle my guys any more or less when dealing with a "bug". I'm their care taker, if I'm sick, I still have to look after them. I just make sure if I'm sick that I do handle them as little as possible, no kisses or snuggles but I still pick them up and let them out to play.
ciao

[bitbyter]

I found ONE hit in Google related to Norovirus and ferrets. The vet said there was no recorded cases of them getting it. That doesn't mean they can't. I'd second Heather's advise. As little contact as possible. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before touching anything that would come into close contact with them (bedding, litter, food bowls, water dishes, etc).