The New York Times: The Coronavirus Kills Mink, So They Too May Get a Vaccine

COVID-19 has shown the world that there is no clear barrier between viruses affecting animals and people. Mink have been reported to get infected with SARS-CoV-2 and die in large numbers in at least a half-dozen countries around the world. They are often found in crowded, caged conditions on farms, resulting in high levels of exposure to the virus. The animals have been found to pass on the virus in its mutated form to people. Zoetis, a large veterinary pharmaceutical company, along with Russian researchers are currently working on a COVID-19 vaccine for mink and seeking a license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Scientists worry that mink infections pose a real threat to public health because the increased susceptibility to the virus is likely to spread to other species and establish itself in natural populations. Read the full article here