CHICAGO, Dec 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. Division of Agriculture mentioned on Monday that it confirmed the primary identified case of the coronavirus in a wild animal, a mink.
The invention will increase issues about outbreaks in mink because the virus has killed greater than 15,000 farmed mink in the USA since August.
International well being officers are investigating the potential danger the animals might pose to individuals after Denmark final month launched into a plan to remove its farmed mink inhabitants of 17 million, warning {that a} mutated coronavirus pressure may transfer to people.
The USDA mentioned in a discover that it confirmed the case in a “free-ranging, wild mink” in Utah as a part of wildlife surveillance round contaminated farms.
A number of animals from completely different wildlife species had been sampled and all examined destructive, the USDA added.
The company mentioned it notified the World Organisation for Animal Well being of the latest case however mentioned there isn’t any proof the virus has been widespread in wild populations round contaminated mink farms.
“To our data, that is the first free-ranging, native wild animal confirmed with SARS-CoV-2,” the USDA mentioned within the discover.
The virus has additionally been present in zoo tigers and family cats and canines.
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