Thousands of mink die from corona in the United States
Thousands of mink died in fur farms in the states of Utah and Wisconsin after being infected with the Corona virus that was transmitted to it from humans.
One farmer lost at least 8,000 minkes being raised for his luxurious silky fur.
The virus first appeared in these animals in August, shortly after a farm worker was infected in July, according to Utah's veterinarian, Dr. Dean Taylor, and preliminary research shows that the virus is transmitted from humans to animals, but not the other way around.
Taylor told CNN, "Everything we have examined here in Utah indicates that the infection was transmitted from humans to animals."
Adding that the tests are still underway.
This Utah incident marks the first outbreak of corona among mink animals in the United States.
On Friday, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Kevin Hoffman, said 2,000 mink animals had died of coronavirus on a farm in Wisconsin as well.
He said in a statement that officials have imposed a quarantine on the farm, which means that animals or animal products should not leave Taylor County's headquarters.
Keith Paulson, an expert at the Diagnostic Laboratory at UW Madison Veterinary School, said that he noticed "large numbers of mink deaths" and that three workers there recovered from the virus after showing "mild to moderate clinical signs."
Other cases have been detected in the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
The National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the U.S. Department of Agriculture have confirmed cases of SAR-COFI-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in dozens of other animals, including dozens of dogs, cats, lions and tigers.
And the mink, which is closely related to nemes, otters and rodents, appears to have symptoms of infection similar to what happens to humans.
He usually has difficulty breathing and the appearance of crusts around his eyes, but the virus develops inside him quickly, and most of the infected mink dies the next day, according to Taylor.
Similar cases have spread to nine farms in Utah, but Taylor warns that "we are still in the middle of the outbreak."
Every farm is quarantined and only essential workers are allowed on site.
Farm workers are instructed to use appropriate protective equipment at all times.
Mink animals that have died from the virus are burned.
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