Utah and Wisconsin authorities announced the death of thousands of minks due to coronavirus outbreaks. Around 7,000 to 8,000 minks died in Utah firm farms in less than two weeks. In Wisconsin, the death of over 2,000 minks was reported.
Nine sites in Utah are under quarantine, although state veterinarian Dr. Dean Taylor said that there didn't seem to be a risk of the minks transferring the disease to humans. Similar to the Netherlands' situation, it is believed that the minks contracted the virus from workers with coronavirus.
Dr. Taylor said that all their finding suggests that humans infected the minks. Tests are still being completed at the moment, but the human-to-mink- transmission "feels like a unidirectional path," he said.
Mink Farms Affected Around the World
When the first minks in Utah tested positive for coronavirus, veterinary pathologist Tom Baldwin assessed the deceased animals in early August. While conducting the necropsies, he noted that the type of pneumonia the minks contracted were not typical for the species. The lungs were "wet, heavy, red, and angry," he reported.
Between April and July, nearly 600,000 minks were reported dead in the Netherlands as the nation shut down its 18th mink farm. To stop the spread of the virus, thousands of minks were treated with carbon monoxide gas. Cases of infected mink farms have also been reported in Spain and Denmark.
Read Also: 600,000 Minks Have Died of Coronavirus in the Netherlands, Possibly Ending the Pelt Industry
Studies on Animals Susceptible to Covid-19
There had been increasing studies on animals that may be highly susceptible to coronavirus. One study in Scientific Reports predicted the infection rate risks of 215 vertebrate species using automated models.
In another study, a genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 revealed that several domestic and wildlife animals are susceptible to the virus, including dogs, cats, ferrets, minks, hamsters, tigers, and lions. The researchers also discovered that cats could transmit the disease to other cat species. Moreover, all pets and zoo animals that tested positive were confirmed or suspected to be infected from a human.
The United States Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories has a list from April to early October counting the confirmed cases of animals with coronavirus. Aside from the thousands of minks, there was a tiger, a lion, pet cats, and dogs.
Unlike in the Netherlands, none of the Utah mink farms resorted to euthanasia. Utah alone has more than three dozen mink farms, and the spread of coronavirus in the animals threatens the farmers' livelihood, said Baldwin.
The Fur Commission USA, formed in 1994, said that the fur from infected minks that have died would be processed to remove traces of coronavirus. The fur will then be used for coats and other fashion items. In the meantime, none of the pelts have been moved outside of Utah, said Taylor.
The United States produces nearly three million mink pelts every year from about 250 farms across the country. Fur farming has existed in the country for more than 100 years. Aside from minks, foxes are also commonly farmed for their fur.
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