Coronavirus mink Utah farms, 5 minks at Utah farms test positive for virus
Coronavirus mink Utah farms, 5 minks at Utah farms test positive for virus.
At least five minks at two Utah farms have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories announced Monday.
These are the first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink in the United States. The affected farms also reported positive cases of COVID-19 in people who had contact with the mink.
After a large number of mink died at the farms, the laboratory completed necropsies on several of the affected animals. Samples were forwarded and tested presumptive positive for the virus at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. The presumptive positive samples were then sent to NVSL for confirmatory testing.
According to a news release, Mink were known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, as the virus was discovered in mink on multiple farms in the Netherlands. Those affected farms also experienced an increase in mink deaths. Affected mink farms have also been identified in Spain and Denmark. USDA has closely monitored these outbreaks and recently issued a document containing guidance for farmed mink in the United States.
There is currently no evidence that animals, including mink, play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans, according to the Utah Department of Agriculture. Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people is considered to be low.
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