More than 15,000&nbsp;mink&nbsp;in the United States have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are keeping about a dozen farms under quarantine while they investigate the cases, state agriculture officials said.

Global health officials are eying the animals as a potential risk for people after Denmark last week embarked on a plan to eliminate all of its 17 million&nbsp;mink, saying a mutated coronavirus strain could move to humans and evade future COVID-19 vaccines.

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The US&nbsp;states of Utah, Wisconsin, and Michigan,&nbsp;where the coronavirus has killed&nbsp;mink,&nbsp;said they do not plan to cull animals and are monitoring the situation in Denmark.

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"We believe that quarantining affected&nbsp;mink&nbsp;farms in addition to implementing stringent biosecurity measures will succeed in controlling SARS-CoV-2 at these locations," the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Reuters on Tuesday.

The USDA said it is working with the US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state officials and the&nbsp;mink&nbsp;industry to test and monitor infected farms.

The United States has 359,850&nbsp;mink&nbsp;bred to produce babies, known as kits, and produced 2.7 million pelts last year. Wisconsin is the largest&nbsp;milk-producing state, followed by Utah.

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Sick&nbsp;mink&nbsp;in Wisconsin and Utah were exposed to people with probable or confirmed COVID-19 cases, the USDA said. In Michigan it is still unknown if the&nbsp;mink&nbsp;were infected by humans, according to the agency.

In Utah, the first U.S. state to confirm&nbsp;mink&nbsp;infections in August, about 10,700&nbsp;mink&nbsp;have died on nine farms, said Dean Taylor, state veterinarian.

"On all nine, everything is still suggesting a one-way travel from people to the&nbsp;minks," he said.

Coronavirus testing has been done on&nbsp;mink&nbsp;that die and randomly on the affected farms, Taylor said. Like people, some&nbsp;mink&nbsp;are asymptomatic or mildly affected, he said.

The CDC said it was supporting states' investigations into sick&nbsp;mink, including testing of animals and people.

"These investigations will help us to learn more about the transmission dynamics between&nbsp;mink, other animals around the farms and people," the CDC said. "Currently, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people."

Coronavirus is thought to have first jumped to humans from animals in China, possibly via bats or another animal at a food market in Wuhan, although many outstanding questions remain.

Monitoring US&nbsp;mink&nbsp;for virus symptoms and quarantining infected farms should limit the disease's spread if cases are caught early, said Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.

"I'm fairly confident that as long as they have that surveillance going and it's strong enough, then they should be able to prevent the spread," he said.

US&nbsp;authorities are urging farmers to wear protective gear like masks and gloves when handling&nbsp;mink&nbsp;to avoid infecting the animals.

In Wisconsin, about 5,000&nbsp;mink&nbsp;have died on two farms, State Veterinarian Darlene Konkle said.

One farm is composting the dead&nbsp;mink&nbsp;to dispose of the carcasses without spreading the virus, Konkle said. Authorities are working with the second farm to determine how to dispose of the&nbsp;mink, and dead animals are being kept in a metal container in the meantime, she said.

Michigan declined to disclose how many&nbsp;mink&nbsp;have died, citing privacy rules.

State officials said they are working with the USDA to determine whether farmers can sell the pelts of infected&nbsp;mink. The pelts are used to make fur coats and other items.

The coronavirus has also infected cats, dogs, a lion and a tiger, according to the USDA. Experts say&nbsp;mink&nbsp;appear to be the most susceptible animal so far.

More than 15,000 mink in the United States have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are keeping about a dozen farms under quarantine while they investigate the cases, state agriculture officials said.

More than 15,000 mink in the United States have died of the coronavirus since August, and authorities are keeping about a dozen farms under quarantine while they investigate the cases, state agriculture officials said. Global health officials are eying the animals as a potential risk for people after Denmark last week embarked on a plan to eliminate all of its 17 million mink, saying a mutated coronavirus strain could move to humans and evade future COVID-19 vaccines. The US states of Utah, Wisconsin, and Michigan, where the coronavirus has killed mink, said they do not plan to cull animals and are monitoring the situation in Denmark. Also read: Denmark has found 214 people infected with mink-related coronavirus "We believe that quarantining affected mink farms in addition to implementing stringent biosecurity measures will succeed in controlling SARS-CoV-2 at these locations," the U.S. Department of Agriculture told Reuters on Tuesday. The USDA said it is working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state officials and the mink industry to test and monitor infected farms. The United States has 359,850 mink bred to produce babies, known as kits, and produced 2.7 million pelts last year. Wisconsin is the largest milk-producing state, followed by Utah. Also read: Thousands of mink dead from COVID-19 outbreaks in US Sick mink in Wisconsin and Utah were exposed to people with probable or confirmed COVID-19 cases, the USDA said. In Michigan it is still unknown if the mink were infected by humans, according to the agency. In Utah, the first U.S. state to confirm mink infections in August, about 10,700 mink have died on nine farms, said Dean Taylor, state veterinarian. "On all nine, everything is still suggesting a one-way travel from people to the minks," he said. Coronavirus testing has been done on mink that die and randomly on the affected farms, Taylor said. Like people, some mink are asymptomatic or mildly affected, he said. The CDC said it was supporting states' investigations into sick mink, including testing of animals and people. "These investigations will help us to learn more about the transmission dynamics between mink, other animals around the farms and people," the CDC said. "Currently, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to people." Coronavirus is thought to have first jumped to humans from animals in China, possibly via bats or another animal at a food market in Wuhan, although many outstanding questions remain. Monitoring US mink for virus symptoms and quarantining infected farms should limit the disease's spread if cases are caught early, said Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. "I'm fairly confident that as long as they have that surveillance going and it's strong enough, then they should be able to prevent the spread," he said. US authorities are urging farmers to wear protective gear like masks and gloves when handling mink to avoid infecting the animals. In Wisconsin, about 5,000 mink have died on two farms, State Veterinarian Darlene Konkle said. One farm is composting the dead mink to dispose of the carcasses without spreading the virus, Konkle said. Authorities are working with the second farm to determine how to dispose of the mink, and dead animals are being kept in a metal container in the meantime, she said. Michigan declined to disclose how many mink have died, citing privacy rules. State officials said they are working with the USDA to determine whether farmers can sell the pelts of infected mink. The pelts are used to make fur coats and other items. The coronavirus has also infected cats, dogs, a lion and a tiger, according to the USDA. Experts say mink appear to be the most susceptible animal so far.

Coronavirus kills 15,000 mink in US, as Denmark prepares for nationwide cull

Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people.

The mutation "could pose a risk that future (coronavirus) vaccines won't work the way they should," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference, adding: "It is necessary to cull all the minks."

Outbreaks at mink farms have persisted in the Nordic country, the world's largest producer of mink skins, despite repeated efforts to cull infected herds since June.

Health authorities found virus strains in humans and in mink which showed decreased sensitivity against antibodies, potentially lowering the efficacy of future vaccines, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press conference.

Minks have also been culled in the Netherlands and Spain after finding infections.

Denmark's health minister said around half of 783 infected Danes in Northern Denmark, home to a large number of mink farms, had been infected with a virus strain stemming from the farms.

Authorities had registered five cases of the new strain on mink farms and 12 cases in humans.

The mink herd in Denmark totals between 15 million and 17 million, authorities said.

Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people.

Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people. The mutation "could pose a risk that future (coronavirus) vaccines won't work the way they should," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference, adding: "It is necessary to cull all the minks." Outbreaks at mink farms have persisted in the Nordic country, the world's largest producer of mink skins, despite repeated efforts to cull infected herds since June. Health authorities found virus strains in humans and in mink which showed decreased sensitivity against antibodies, potentially lowering the efficacy of future vaccines, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a press conference. Minks have also been culled in the Netherlands and Spain after finding infections. Denmark's health minister said around half of 783 infected Danes in Northern Denmark, home to a large number of mink farms, had been infected with a virus strain stemming from the farms. Authorities had registered five cases of the new strain on mink farms and 12 cases in humans. The mink herd in Denmark totals between 15 million and 17 million, authorities said.

Denmark to cull millions of minks amid mutation fears for coronavirus vaccine

Dutch health officials have ordered the slaughter of around 10,000 mink to start Friday on farms where coronavirus outbreaks have been reported, possibly infecting at least two employees.

“Clearing the infected farms is in the interest of both human health and animal health,” Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten said in a letter to parliament, adding the cull would commence on Friday and farmers would be compensated.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mink-are-the-latest-animals-to-contract-coronavirus-296900">Mink are the latest animals to contract coronavirus</a>

The cull will prevent a “reservoir” of SARS-CoV-2 virus on farms, which could endanger public health, it said.

Each farm houses several thousand of the ferret-like animals, which are bred for their fur.

<img alt="Mink" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a633da6d-3beb-4026-a5af-efefaf840a01" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ym-minkfarm-260520.jpg" />

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A mink farm is seen during the coronavirus disease outbreak in De Mortel, Netherlands|REUTERS
“The Animal Welfare Commission has been informed and will see to it that the animals are treated in a responsible manner and killed,” Schouten said.

Health officials warned the "virus can continue to circulate on mink farms for a long time and therefore posed a risk to public and animal health," the ministers said in a letter to parliament.

Around 10,000 mink are to be culled in the clean-up on the fur farms, agriculture department spokeswoman Elise van den Bosch said.Coronavirus outbreaks have occurred on eight farms in the Netherlands, and Wednesday’s letter confirmed a ninth.

“The expectation is that further infections will be seen in the coming weeks,” Schouten said.

Last month her ministry reported two cases where mink were believed to have transmitted the disease to humans, in what are the only animal-to-human cases on record since the global outbreak began in China.

The outbreaks on the Dutch mink farms are all thought to have originated from their human handlers and then spread among the minks. The country’s National Institute for Health (RIVM) has said that the risk of animal-to-human and human-to-animal transmission remains “minimal.”

&nbsp;

Dutch health officials have ordered the slaughter of around 10,000 mink to start Friday on farms where coronavirus outbreaks have been reported, possibly infecting at least two employees.

Dutch health officials have ordered the slaughter of around 10,000 mink to start Friday on farms where coronavirus outbreaks have been reported, possibly infecting at least two employees. “Clearing the infected farms is in the interest of both human health and animal health,” Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten said in a letter to parliament, adding the cull would commence on Friday and farmers would be compensated. Also read: Mink are the latest animals to contract coronavirus The cull will prevent a “reservoir” of SARS-CoV-2 virus on farms, which could endanger public health, it said. Each farm houses several thousand of the ferret-like animals, which are bred for their fur. A mink farm is seen during the coronavirus disease outbreak in De Mortel, Netherlands|REUTERS “The Animal Welfare Commission has been informed and will see to it that the animals are treated in a responsible manner and killed,” Schouten said. Health officials warned the "virus can continue to circulate on mink farms for a long time and therefore posed a risk to public and animal health," the ministers said in a letter to parliament. Around 10,000 mink are to be culled in the clean-up on the fur farms, agriculture department spokeswoman Elise van den Bosch said.Coronavirus outbreaks have occurred on eight farms in the Netherlands, and Wednesday’s letter confirmed a ninth. “The expectation is that further infections will be seen in the coming weeks,” Schouten said. Last month her ministry reported two cases where mink were believed to have transmitted the disease to humans, in what are the only animal-to-human cases on record since the global outbreak began in China. The outbreaks on the Dutch mink farms are all thought to have originated from their human handlers and then spread among the minks. The country’s National Institute for Health (RIVM) has said that the risk of animal-to-human and human-to-animal transmission remains “minimal.”

Dutch to slaughter around 10,000 mink after coronavirus outbreak on farms