A particular mink farm in Oregon has now reportedly had an outbreak of COVID-19 amongst both workers and animals. The Oregon Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Andrea Cantu-Schomus has declined to say which county the farm is located or as to how many workers and animals have tested positive while citing the federal health privacy rules. However, it was stated that the farm had about 12,000 animals altogether.
17 million minks culled in Denmark
According to the report by Statesman Journal, the outbreaks in certain mink farms have also been reported in a number of US states and countries. Just earlier this month, Denmark actually announced that it would proceed to kill all of its 17 million minks after the country confirmed that 12 people had actually been infected by the virus allegedly coming from the spread of mink to humans. The strain has not yet been found anywhere else in the world. An article by APNews reports how the thousands of culled minks in Denmark allegedly resurfaced after their burial. This is due to the gases that have built up inside their dead bodies.
The "dead minks rising" was then explained by Jannike Elmegaard from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration saying the gases caused the animals to expand. In the worst cases, these minks got pushed out of the ground. He then stated that it affected hundreds of animals. The minks were reportedly buried in particular trenches that were only about 2.5 meters deep as well as 3 meters wide.
The very first layer of about 1 meter of bodies of dead mink were then covered with simple chalk before, yet another layer of minks were put on top. The process was then repeated and according to Elmegaard. Due to the soil where the minks were buried being sandy, a few of the bodies have re-emerged. It was then stated that they assume that this is because the minks that emerged were in the upper layer close to the ground. He then stated that this was just "a natural process."
COVID-19 hits mink farm
Oregon has the nation's reportedly fourth-largest farmed mink industry coming after Wisconsin, Utah, and also Michigan. The three other states have also reported certain outbreaks on a number of mink farms. The Oregon farmer previously reported mink showing symptoms to the ODA back in November 19, reported by Cantu-Schomus. ODA then took samples from 10 of the notedly sick mink and all of them showed positive for the known SARS-CoV-2, which is the animal virus that is linked towards COVID-19 in humans.
Cantu-Schomus was unable to state just how many of the mink were sick, but it was stated that the 10 were noted as a sample of the whole population. Back on November 23, ODA then placed the entire farm under quarantine which meant that there would be no animals or animal products allowed to leave the farm.
On the very same date, the official Oregon Health Authority asked all of its workers located on the farm to follow self-isolation, according to Cantu-Schomus. Both the State and national environmental groups have already been raising alarm about the possibility of an infected Oregon's mink industry, according to the story of USAToday.
Situation was 'so foreseeable'
According to Lori Ann Burd, along with the Center for Biological Diversity, which is one of the groups that is urging Oregon to take certain action, the whole situation was "so foreseeable." She then stated that they will certainly be following up along with the agency to demand answers and also be able to find out what they are doing in order to mitigate the outbreak and the public health risk.
In letters written to Gov. Kate Brown as well as the state agencies, the group had actually asked for immediate inspection of Oregon's known mink farms, as well as certain quarantines and a particular phased buy-out of the entire industry. During that time, the state officials stated that they did not have plans to take the group's given recommendations, the story was reported by USAToday.
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Written by Urian Buenconsejo
