The Big Wobble by Gary Walton 10/11/2020
Hundreds of thousands of mink are dying at fur farms in the US and Europe from Covid-19: Initial research shows the virus was transmitted from humans to animals, and so far has not seen any cases of the opposite.
Thousands of mink have died at fur farms in Utah and Wisconsin after a series of coronavirus outbreaks. In Utah, ranchers have lost at least 8,000 mink to Covid-19 among the animals known for their silky, luxurious pelts. The virus first appeared in the creatures in August, shortly after farmworkers fell ill in July, according to Dr Dean Taylor, State Veterinarian of Utah.
Infections of mink have already been documented in other countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain. In June, authorities in these countries gassed hundreds of thousands of animals, concerned that the mink could harbour the virus indefinitely, enabling infections to persist among farm animals—and potentially spread to humans according to Science Mag.
Initial research shows the virus was transmitted from humans to animals, and so far has not seen any cases of the opposite. "Everything we've looked at here in Utah suggests it's gone from the humans to the animals," Taylor told CNN. "It feels like a unidirectional path," he said, adding that testing is still underway. Utah's was the first outbreak among mink in the United States.
More:
http://www.thebigwobble.org/2020/10/hundreds-of-thousands-of-mink-are-dying.html
