Mink can get severely ill and die from COVID-19. They can transmit the virus to humans, as well.
Mink first caught the virus from humans, and there have been outbreaks of COVID-19 at fur farms around the world, said President of the San Francisco SPCA Dr. Jennifer Scarlett on KCBS Radio’s “Animal Update.”
“The mink susceptibility, plus crowded conditions of intense fur farming have led to these outbreaks,” she said.
In Denmark, 200 mink farms last November culled 17 million of the animals because of COVID-19 outbreaks.
“As of November 2020, Denmark has reported over 200 cases of people being infected with a coronavirus variant, a COVID variant, associated with these mink farms,” Dr. Scarlett said. “What we’re worried about with all of the variations is, do they become less susceptible to antibodies? So, the good news is so far, even on these mink variations, the vaccines still seem to be effective.”
The veterinarian noted that there’s a lot of concern about mink farms accelerating COVID-19 mutations.
“I think ultimately, it comes down to thinking about our role in creating the right environment, whether it’s through wet markets or intensive farming practices and fur farms that create the right atmosphere for these viruses to mutate and jump species and spread,” Dr. Scarlett said.
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