Coronavirus kills 15,000 US mink as Denmark prepares for nationwide cull

Chicago, November 11

More than 15,000 mink within the United States have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are preserving a few dozen farms underneath quarantine whereas they examine the circumstances, state agriculture officers mentioned.

Global well being officers are eying the animals as a possible threat for folks after Denmark final week launched into a plan to eradicate all of its 17 million mink, saying a mutated coronavirus pressure may transfer to people and evade future COVID-19 vaccines.

The US states of Utah, Wisconsin and Michigan — the place the coronavirus has killed mink — mentioned they don’t plan to cull animals and are monitoring the scenario in Denmark.

“We believe that quarantining affected mink farms in addition to implementing stringent biosecurity measures will succeed in controlling SARS-CoV-2 at these locations,” the US Department of Agriculture advised Reuters on Tuesday.

The USDA mentioned it’s working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state officers and the mink trade to test and monitor contaminated farms.

The United States has 3,59,850 mink bred to supply infants, generally known as kits, and produced 2.7 million pelts final 12 months.

Wisconsin is the biggest mink-producing state, adopted by Utah.

Sick mink in Wisconsin and Utah had been uncovered to folks with possible or confirmed COVID-19 circumstances, the USDA mentioned. In Michigan it’s nonetheless unknown if the mink had been contaminated by people, in keeping with the company.

In Utah, the primary US state to verify mink infections in August, about 10,700 mink have died on 9 farms, mentioned Dean Taylor, state veterinarian.

“On all nine, everything is still suggesting a one-way travel from people to the minks,” he mentioned.

Coronavirus testing has been accomplished on mink that die and randomly on the affected farms, Taylor mentioned. Like folks, some mink are asymptomatic or mildly affected, he mentioned.

The CDC mentioned it was supporting states’ investigations into sick mink, together with testing of animals and folks.

“These investigations will help us to learn more about the transmission dynamics between mink, other animals around the farms and people,” the CDC mentioned. “Currently, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people.”

Coronavirus is assumed to have first jumped to people from animals in China, probably by way of bats or one other animal at a meals market in Wuhan, though many excellent questions stay.

Monitoring US mink for virus signs and quarantining contaminated farms ought to restrict the illness’s unfold if circumstances are caught early, mentioned Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

“I’m fairly confident that as long as they have that surveillance going and it’s strong enough, then they should be able to prevent the spread,” he mentioned.

U.S. authorities are urging farmers to put on protecting gear like masks and gloves when dealing with mink to keep away from infecting the animals.

In Wisconsin, about 5,000 mink have died on two farms, State Veterinarian Darlene Konkle mentioned.

One farm is composting the useless mink to get rid of the carcasses with out spreading the virus, Konkle mentioned. Authorities are working with the second farm to find out tips on how to get rid of the mink, and useless animals are being stored in a steel container within the meantime, she mentioned.

Michigan declined to reveal what number of mink have died, citing privateness guidelines.

State officers mentioned they’re working with the USDA to find out whether or not farmers can promote the pelts of contaminated mink.

The pelts are used to make fur coats and different objects.

The coronavirus has additionally contaminated cats, canine, a lion and a tiger, in keeping with the USDA. Experts say mink look like essentially the most inclined animal thus far. Reuters