See All-Creatures.org Health Position and Disclaimer
We must end the transmission of coronavirus at cruel mink farms by closing them altogether.
Representative image - Mink Fur Farm, Sweden - Jo-Anne
McArthur, WeAnimalsMedia
A wild mink in Utah has tested positive for COVID-19 in the first known
case of a non-captive animal catching the potentially deadly disease,
according to a USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories memo released
on December 13. The disturbing discovery comes after thousands of mink died
earlier this year at 16 farms in Wisconsin, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah.
The infected mink was captured amid ongoing tests of wild animals and in the
“immediate vicinity of one of the affected farms,” Utah state veterinarian
Dean Taylor told National Geographic.
The strain found in the wild mink is “indistinguishable” from other infected
mink throughout the state.
“Finding a virus in a wild mink but not in other wildlife nearby likely
indicates an isolated event,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison
veterinarian Tony L. Goldberg, “but we should take all such information
seriously.”
“The finding demonstrates the continued importance of continuing
surveillance around infected mink farms,” said USDA spokesperson Lyndsay
Cole, “and of taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus to
wildlife.”
The USDA has not yet announced a plan to prevent the virus from spreading to
the North American mink population. We must end the transmission of
coronavirus at cruel mink farms by closing them altogether. In addition to
potentially spreading zoonotic diseases, mink farms are inherently cruel and
use torturous methods to kill mink — including gas, electrocution and
neck-breaking.
If you haven’t yet, sign Lady Freethinker’s petition urging U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to push for an urgent nationwide ban on cruel
fur farming, saving innocent animals’ lives and reducing the risk of
spreading zoonotic diseases.
Return to Food Hazards in Animal Flesh and By-products
Read more at
COVID-19/Coronavirus Articles Directory
We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.