Mink catches coronavirus on farms, including Oregon

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, we are learning about the risks of animals as well as humans. Mink has proven to be particularly susceptible to viruses. SARS-CoV-2, an animal virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, appears especially in mink raised for fur.

It is currently displayed on a mink farm in Oregon.

The spread of the coronavirus among minks has become a major problem in European countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, and the outbreak of the virus on mink farms has killed millions of animals. Outbreaks of mink farms have also been reported in several fur-producing states in the United States. Late November, Oregon Health and Agriculture Officials Announced a confirmed outbreak Between mink and humans at one of the 11 mink farms in the state. The state has refused to disclose the location of affected Oregon farms because of medical privacy laws. It has been criticized by environmental advocates who warned that such an outbreak could occur in Oregon just a few weeks ago.

One of the leaders in Oregon’s response to farm outbreaks is Dr. Ryan Schortz.He is the Oregon Department of Agriculture State veterinarian, And it is his job to prevent or mitigate the spread of the disease among the state’s livestock. Schortz recently talked to the OPB about how to respond to the outbreak.

How did mink get infected with the virus?

Mr. Schortz said much is still unknown. why Mink in particular is extremely vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2, and beyond that, other species of mink and mustelidae (including ferrets and otters) are “very similar body systems” to humans. I have.

But it is known how These minks originally had the virus: from humans.

“People involved in this farm picked up the virus somewhere in the community … and returned it to the farm with them,” Schortz said.

He said farm employees wore personal protective equipment at work, but the virus still invaded mink.

According to the outbreak timeline provided by the department, the farm owner first reported on November 19 that he was symptomatic and was being tested. He was positive the next day.

“He was very aggressive and did all the right things with this,” Schortz said.

Schortz kept in touch with him that weekend. A few days later, on November 23, the farmer reported that some of the mink had symptoms of the virus, such as coughing and sneezing.

“We made a plan right away. I drove there first the next morning and tested some minks on the farm,” Schortz said.

Testing and quarantine

Of the approximately 12,000 animals on the farm, a symptomatic sample of 10 mink was selected for testing. According to Schortz, the mink test is the same as a human test, except that it is given orally rather than nasally.

Test sample was sent to Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Institute At Oregon State University, which is conducting both human and animal tests for the coronavirus this year. Samples were sent to the USDA after being run at the Oregon Institute on November 25. National Veterinary Research Institute In Iowa, where results were confirmed on November 26, all 10 animals were SARS-CoV-2 positive. The outbreak at the mink farm was announced to the public the next day.

“The farm is in quarantine,” Scholz said. That is, neither animals nor animal products can leave the farm. On November 23, “I was put under quarantine as soon as the animal was reported to have symptoms.”

Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Health conducted a COVID-19 test on farm staff the day after the farm owner reported his positive test. On the same day, Dr. Emilio DeBess, an OHA public health veterinarian, instructed farmers and staff to self-isolate on November 21st.

Under the quarantine order, Mr. Schortz said he was the only person allowed to enter the farm other than the staff, only while wearing full personal protective equipment.

Testing is continued every two weeks as needed. Scholz planned to further test the virus mink on the farm on Monday to see if the virus had been removed from the herd. He said quite a lot of mink will be tested this time.

“Then, if the virus is still found in that sample, continue testing. Before releasing the quarantine, the farm will actually continue testing until two sets of all-negative samples are available. We know that the virus no longer exists, “says Scholz.

According to Schortz, the viral symptoms of mink on the farm seemed to disappear within days of the first signs of infection. He added that no virus-induced death of mink was reported on the farm.

What about other mink farms in Oregon?

Just a few weeks before this outbreak was reported, the Environmental Group’s Biodiversity Center letter “Urgent public health threats” to coronavirus infections on mink farms in Oregon, as seen elsewhere in Europe and the United States, to Oregon Agricultural and Oregon Health officials Warned about.

“Therefore, we strongly encourage you to start with the facilities where the animals are most concentrated and immediately dispatch inspectors to all mink breeding facilities to conduct investigations so that these facilities do not compromise public health. I recommend it, “read the letter.

However, Mr. Schortz said the Oregon Department of Agriculture is not currently monitoring coronaviruses at other mink farms in the state.

“The USDA and CDC have advised against this for a variety of reasons, but especially when we go to those farms and test them, there is actually a risk of bringing the virus to the farms. It will be quite expensive, “Shortz said.

He said that in Oregon, the coronavirus is a reportable disease, meaning that it is legally required to report in animals.

“In this case, the system was fully functional. The farmer reported it within hours of noticing the symptoms. We were able to quarantine. We were able to make a diagnosis,” Scholz said. Says. “This is our normal system for these types of livestock diseases.”

The Biodiversity Center continues to seek testing of other Oregon mink farms.so Recent letters After the state announced the outbreak, the group not only conducted more extensive testing of mink with state agencies, but also quarantined all mink farming operations in the state, suspended breeding programs, and government acquisition programs. Advocated to adjust. State mink farm. It also criticized the state for not disclosing the location of the affected farms, often revealing details of outbreaks in Oregon workplaces, such data limiting the spread of COVID-19. He said it was essential to public efforts for.

Scholz and DeBess replied that the Oregon Department of Health complies with all COVID-19 reporting protocols and state privacy laws. They said the agency reported outbreaks in several workplaces, but “did not disclose any information that could identify the personal information of the person involved in the outbreak.” They added that details of the mink outbreak were “withheld due to biosecurity concerns.”

Can Oregon Avoid Denmark’s Fate?

The most serious consequences of coronavirus infection between humans and mink were seen In denmark.. First of all, in Denmark and the Netherlands, there have been multiple cases of mink catching the coronavirus from humans and returning it to additional humans who were not previously infected.

Schortz said no such cases have been recorded, despite multiple outbreaks in the United States. Domestic mink farm..Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Maintain There is no evidence that animals play an important role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and the risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2 in humans is low. However, Schortz said it remains a concern and attention in the United States.

“That’s the basis of our response. Keep no one else from going to this farm, people on the farm wear higher levels of PPE than usual, and the virus can return from mink to people. It is important not to have a virus, “he said.

Even more alarming is the fact that some mink was found to be infected in Denmark. Mutant strain Of the coronavirus that can spread to humans. At least 12 people in Denmark tested positive for the new mutant virus. There is concern that a unique mutant known as the “cluster 5” mutant may compromise the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. At that risk, the Danish government took extreme steps to kill the entire 17 million mink population.

However, no variants of Cluster 5 have been found outside Denmark. A test sample of infected mink from a farm in Oregon was confirmed by the USDA Veterinary Institute on November 30 to be free of mutants, according to Schortz.

Schortz hoped that continued preventive efforts would prevent Oregon from reaching the point of killing minks all at once, as it happened in Denmark. He and veterinarians in other states of the United States work closely with mink producers to recognize the biosecurity measures needed on the farm, have the appropriate masks and other PPEs, and are CDC compliant. I emphasized that I am. Guidelines.

“This is what our nation has been preparing for a long time,” he said. “These plans have been implemented here and are working by all means, successfully preventing the disease from moving beyond this farm we have found.”

Mink is not the only animal at risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2. There are many cases of the virus reported in other animals in the United States.

The virus says, “Dog and cat, and perhaps most notably, Lion and tiger It was on display at the early Bronx Zoo of the virus, “Shortz said.

However, so far, no cases of the virus returning from animals to humans have been recorded in the United States.

“I don’t think your dog is at risk of giving you COVID-19. The risk is actually greater. If you are experiencing symptoms that may be associated with COVID-19 … Self from the general public You also have to try to isolate yourself from the dog while you’re in quarantine, “Shortz said.

He said the CDC was helpful Guidelines If you test positive for the virus, about caring for your pet.

“We know it’s possible — it’s rare, but it can happen. It’s documented that it happens many times where pets are. Infected with a virus From their owners when their owners were ill. “