COVID-19 Outbreak Declared At Canadian Mink Farm, 8 People Infected

Health authorities announced a COVID-19 outbreak related to a mink farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. This is the latest in a string of COVID-19 outbreaks related to mink farms.

On Sunday, Fraser Health released a statement declaring COVID-19 outbreaks in several locations including three long-term care and assisted living facilities and one mink farm. As the news release explained, there are no more COVID-19 cases at the care facilities, but there have so far been eight people who tested positive for COVID-19 at the mink farm.

Screening is still ongoing at the farm, with those who tested positive as well as their close contacts already self-isolating, authorities said.

The news release did not specify the farm or how the virus was transmitted. However, it noted that some of the animals are also being tested for the virus while safety measures are also being enforced.

"Under the BC Animal Health Act, the mink farm has been ordered to restrict the transport of animals, products and goods from the farm," the news release explained. "Animal welfare is being supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and testing of animals is underway. Enhanced measures are in place to ensure the safety of animals and farm owners."

Mink-Associated COVID-19 Outbreaks

This outbreak in Canada follows the massive mink culling incident in Denmark where authorities culled some 17 million minks due to fears of a mutated COVID-19 strain linked to minks.

"Since June 2020, a total of 644 people associated with mink farming have tested positive," the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Dec. 3 update on the mink-associated cases. "Furthermore, there have been at least 338 cases reported among people working with mink pelting, in six factories and two small facilities, which suggests that there is an increased risk of COVID-19 infection in people who are involved in farming, culling and pelting of mink."

So far, eight countries including Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the U.S. have reported COVID-19 in farmed minks. In an Oregon outbreak, both the animals and the staff reportedly got infected with the virus, the Oregon Department of Agriculture reported. The WHO also noted previous COVID-19 outbreaks infecting minks in large farms in the Netherlands.

As the WHO explained, these cases show how farmed minks may possibly play a role in the spread of COVID-19. The organization also noted the need for further extensive laboratory studies to understand mink-associated SARS-CoV-2 variants that were found in several human cases.