The British Columbia government is identifying more cases of COVID-19 in mink as the province’s affected fur farms remain under quarantine.
As of Aug. 6, eight mink have tested positive for the virus on one farm, after two cases were initially identified in May.
Three of those mink had escaped their cages but were captured on the farm, according to the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.
Three B.C. fur farms have had mink test positive for COVID-19 since December. All remain under quarantine.
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The province has nine mink farms in total, all located in the Fraser Valley.
According to an order by the B.C. health officer issued late last month, infectious mink pose a concern of developing mutated strains of the virus that could, “re-infect humans and such mutated strains may pose a risk of development of variants of concern.”
B.C. has also ordered mink farms report their numbers of the animals to health officials and not increase populations.
No new mink farms will be allowed to be established under the B.C. health order.
Fur farms around the world have been coping with COVID-19 in mink since the pandemic began with Denmark ordering the culling of millions of the fur-bearing animal last year.
