While the ferret has proved essential for the study of influenza virus pathogenesis and transmission, the use of this species to examine alternate inoculation methods has been limited [32, [35] [36] [37] [38] . Characterizing the progression of disease following alternate routes of inoculation with influenza virus will assist in the better understanding of unique features and the relative severity and risk associated with different exposure routes. In this study, we established an in vivo model using the ferret to assess the ability of influenza viruses of multiple subtypes to use the eye as a gateway to establish a productive infection. Both human and avian influenza viruses were capable of mounting a respiratory virus infection in ferrets following i.o. inoculation. The detection of virus in ocular samples collected from ferrets inoculated by either ocular or intranasal routes demonstrates the importance of studying ocular involvement in respiratory virus infection. Divergent patterns of virus transmissibility by respiratory droplets following use of different inoculum volumes and routes of inoculation highlights the complexity of properties which govern virus transmission.