Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published several confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) in captive minks in Utah. This marks the first time H5N1 has been documented in captive minks in the United States.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), H5N1 is one of several influenza viruses that causes a highly infectious respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or “bird flu”). Infections in mammals, including humans, companion animals, and wild animals, have also been documented. In many cases, infections can be fatal.
Since 2020, a highly contagious variant of these viruses has led to an unprecedented number of wild bird and poultry deaths around the world. This trend continued and expanded to captive minks kept at fur farms across Europe beginning in 2022. Despite the USDA having yet to confirm whether these recently infected minks in Utah are kept at fur farms, this potential outbreak is cause for grave concern.
Virologists Warn Against Dangers of H5N1 Spreading Among Minks
Although avian influenza viruses do not currently spread easily amongst human populations, they can adapt once they infect other species. Virologists have warned that if H5N1 continues to spread among minks, who have similar respiratory tracts to humans, the virus could become airborne and more dangerous, unlike if it spread only among poultry.
H5N1 was first detected in 2022 at a fur farm in Galicia, Spain, likely from mink contact with an infected wild bird, and affected more than 50,000 minks. This was the first documented case of H5N1 spreading between mammals and further raised concerns about potential transmission to humans. In July 2023, H5N1 was detected on 27 fur farms in Finland, affecting thousands of silver and blue foxes, American minks, and raccoon dogs. Infected animals showed serious symptoms indicating the virus had spread to their organs. By 2024, H5N1 had been confirmed at over 70 fur farms in Europe, leading to the culling of more than 500,000 animals on the grounds of preemptively protecting human public health and safety.
Act Now to Protect Public Health from Dangers of Mink Fur Farming
H5N1 can present in minks asymptomatically, making it difficult to detect. To eliminate a severe public health threat and end this cruel, harmful practice for good, there exists a solution that would benefit all: the “Mink: Vectors for Infection Risk in the United States Act” (Mink VIRUS Act), which would end the farming of minks for fur after a one-year phase-out period and establish a USDA grant program to reimburse mink farmers for the full value of their farm.
If you believe in protecting human health and safety, discontinuing the use of unwitting taxpayer dollars to support this horrific practice, and saving the lives of millions of animals, please ask your representatives to support this important legislation before the next pandemic is upon us.
For the Animals,
Dear Reader,