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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) – About 10,000 minks have died in the past two weeks on nine fur farms in the U.S. state of Utah, state veterinarian Dean Taylor revealed.
Taylor was quoted on Friday by the NBC news channel as saying the virus was discovered among animals in the United States in early August, shortly after workers at the local ranch tested positive, and researchers thought the creatures known to their luxurious, silky skins were infected by humans.
“All the research indicates that there has not been a spread from mink to humans,” Taylor said.
All the sites where the COVID-19 outbreak occurred among mink were quarantined, but no animals were euthanized due to disease, he said, adding that the state is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC), USDA and other agencies. provide more protective equipment and proper training for mink farm workers.
Taylor cautioned that the COVID-19 outbreak among minks is not easy to prevent and more difficult to stop immediately.
COVID-19 infections of mink have already been documented in many countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain. In June, authorities in these countries gassed hundreds of thousands of animals, concerned that minks could harbor the virus and transmit it to other farm animals, including humans.
In the United States, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Consumer Protection confirmed Thursday that more than 2,000 minks had died from COVID-19.
“There is currently no evidence that animals, including mink, play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to humans,” the department said in a press release. “However, people infected with the virus can transmit it to mink and other animals. People suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 are encouraged to avoid contact with pets.”
There are at least 245 mink farms in 22 states in the United States, according to Fur Commission USA, the nation’s largest mink producer association. Final product
