Coronavirus creeps into US mink farms, “unusually larger numbers” dead

Enlarge / Coronavirus has swept through mink farms in Europe. (credit: Getty | Viktor Drachev)

The pandemic coronavirus has made its way onto two mink farms in Utah, leading to “unusually large numbers” of dead animals, according to a Tuesday announcement by the US Department of Agriculture.

These are the first reported cases of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, infecting mink in the country. For months, authorities in European countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, and Spain, have reported outbreaks in mink pelt farms, leading to the culling of more than a million of the soft, furry mammals. From laboratory experiments, it’s also clear that ferrets, a relative of minks, are also readily infected with the novel coronavirus.

The affected farms in Utah reported cases of COVID-19 in people working on the farms, who may have spread the infection to the animals.

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Source: https://arstechnica.com/?p=1699897
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Beth Mole

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