June 01, 2021
Oregon mulls ban on mink farms as COVID threat
A bill before the Oregon Senate would phase out mink farming within the state in less than a year because of concerns that mink represent a SARS-CoV-2 threat to public and animal health.
Oregon is one of nearly two dozen U.S. states with mink farming operations and one of the biggest producers of mink pelts, according to Fur Commission USA. SARS-CoV-2 infection has been confirmed in mink at one Oregon operation as well as at operations in Michigan, Utah, and Wisconsin.
Preliminary findings indicate that farmed mink may have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to farmworkers who were in close contact with the infected animals in Denmark and the Netherlands. Out of an abundance of caution, Denmark, the largest mink producer in the world, culled millions of mink after some animals appeared to have been infected by farmworkers in whom COVID-19 had been diagnosed.
Advocates of Oregon’s Senate Bill 832 say mink are a unique danger for spreading the coronavirus and amplifying its hazards to humans. However, evidence suggests that appropriate biosecurity measures on mink farms to prevent the initial human-to-mink transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can mitigate this hazard.
At a hearing before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery in early April, Scott Beckstead, director of campaigns for Animal Wellness Action, submitted testimony stating that Oregon “should put an end to nonessential activities that present a high risk of spreading COVID-19 into our affected communities—like mink farming.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Currently, there is no evidence that mink are playing a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people. However, there is a possibility of mink spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people on mink farms.”
Dr. John Easley, chief executive officer for Mink Veterinary Consulting and Research Service, submitted testimony stating that mink have long been known to be susceptible to a myriad of diseases carried by both humans and wildlife.
“Because of this, Fur Commission USA administers a robust biosecurity program that U.S. farmers have been abiding by for over 30 years,” Dr. Easley stated. “Since the introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the program has been strengthened through the recommendations made by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and the CDC one-health program regarding PPE (personal protective equipment), employee screening, and limiting access to the animals.”
At press time in April, no further action on the bill by the Senate committee was scheduled.
