Wisconsin mink industry warned of outbreak in Europe animals

[Emily]

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireS...ustry-warned-outbreak-europe-animals-71516151

Wisconsin mink industry warned of outbreak in Europe animals

Wisconsin animal health officials are cautioning the state’s mink producers about the dangers of the coronavirus following outbreaks among animals on several farms in Europe, spurring renewed calls from animal rights activists to ban the fur trade

By The Associated Press
June 29, 2020, 10:28 AM
3 min read

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin animal health officials are cautioning the state’s mink producers about the dangers of the coronavirus following outbreaks among animals on several farms in Europe, spurring renewed calls from animal rights activists to ban the fur trade.

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the state's $223 million mink industry, which is the largest in America. Still, producers say they're taking precautions to protect their herds, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

Kevin Hoffman, spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, said the agency released guidance this month from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control for veterinarians who work with Wisconsin’s mink ranches.

The guidance revealed that the virus that causes COVID-19 has been detected in mink on multiple farms in the Netherlands and research has shown ferrets, a close relative of mink, can catch and spread the disease in laboratory settings. It noted that there is no evidence suggesting that animals “play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans,” though it cautioned that further study was needed...

Why won't the industry talk with AVMA?