Possible risk to pet ferrets from COVID-19

[Bogertophis]

I hope this doesn't pose the same risk to pet ferrets, but I'd be surprised if it doesn't, so I wanted to share this info. I hope ferret keepers are cautious.
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https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/...f54df4b0467c5d


5 hr 27 min agoAt least 8,000 mink dead in Utah after contracting Covid-19

From CNN's Cheri Mossburg
Utah ranchers have lost at least 8,000 mink to an outbreak of Covid-19 among the animals known for their silky, luxurious pelts.
The virus first appeared in the creatures in August, shortly after farmworkers fell ill in July, according to Dr. Dean Taylor, state veterinarian of Utah. Initial research shows the virus was transmitted from humans to animals, and so far has not seen any cases of the opposite.

“Everything we’ve looked at here in Utah suggests it's gone from the humans to the animals,” Taylor told CNN.

“It feels like a unidirectional path,” he said, adding that testing is still underway.
Some context: This is the first outbreak among mink in the United States, though other cases have been detected in the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Mink, which are closely related to weasels, otter and ferrets, appear to suffer similar symptoms to humans. Difficulty breathing and crusting around the eyes are usually seen, but the virus progresses rapidly, and most infected mink are dead by the next day, according to Taylor. It’s unclear what makes mink such a susceptible species, while others appear to be unaffected.
Mink join only cats, dogs, a tiger and a lion to be the only confirmed animals with Covid-19 in the US, according to the USDA data.
The cluster of cases in Utah has spread to nine farms, but Taylor warns that “we’re still in the middle of the outbreak.” Each farm is under quarantine with only essential workers permitted on site. Farmworkers are being directed to use proper protective equipment at all times.
The pelts from most of the mink that have died from the virus have been either contained and buried or incinerated. No pelts have left the state, according to Taylor.

[GoingPostal]

Oof that's awful. I'd read ferrets can catch it, they can get the flu and colds from humans already. I do try and remember to be cautious with mine but it's tough. I lost one ferret unexpectedly a couple months ago and it did cross my mind but I don't think that's what took him. Sickly little buggers they are.

[Craiga 01453]

Oof that's awful. I'd read ferrets can catch it, they can get the flu and colds from humans already. I do try and remember to be cautious with mine but it's tough. I lost one ferret unexpectedly a couple months ago and it did cross my mind but I don't think that's what took him. Sickly little buggers they are.

Hmmmm.... That's odd. I lost two the same day a few weeks back. Never once did it cross my mind that covid could have been responsible. The other two have been acting perfectly normal, and they were all living in the same enclosure (4x6x6 closet I built into an enclosure).

I was aware they could catch colds and flu, but this is the first story of animals in the ferret family contracting covid I've heard.

It seems unlikely that covid is to blame, Katie and I are healthy and vigilant. Since March literally only Katie's sister and niece have entered our house, so I'd be shocked, especially considering they didn't enter that room and the door is always closed.

Sorry for you loss, by the way.

[Bogertophis]

Hmmmm.... That's odd. I lost two the same day a few weeks back. Never once did it cross my mind that covid could have been responsible. The other two have been acting perfectly normal, and they were all living in the same enclosure (4x6x6 closet I built into an enclosure).

I was aware they could catch colds and flu, but this is the first story of animals in the ferret family contracting covid I've heard.

It seems unlikely that covid is to blame, Katie and I are healthy and vigilant. Since March literally only Katie's sister and niece have entered our house, so I'd be shocked, especially considering they didn't enter that room and the door is always closed.

Sorry for you loss, by the way.

Oh no...I'm so sorry, whatever the cause. I agree, it does seem unlikely to have been COVID if the others didn't catch it too, but still?

And GoingPostal, I'm sorry about your loss as well. I've never had a ferret but came close to getting one some years back, & at least they seem to live every day to the fullest & having fun. They're so cute!

[Craiga 01453]

Thanks. I've been keeping a very close eye on the other two. They're eating, not losing weight, still jumping around like goofballs. So I'm puzzled. Losing two in one day seems really strange. I was in complete shock when I found one, nevermind two.

I always go through the "I'm a bad pet dad" and "I did something wrong" phase after losing a pet, but this one has me truly stumped. I'm confident I didn't do anything wrong, and I know they lived great, happy ferret lives. But I would love answers. I didn't get necropsies done, so I'll never know though.

But I'm not blaming myself, I know I take great care of my pets. They live better than I do, hahahhahaha. It's just hard to not blame myself when I dont have another answer.

But you're so right, ferrets absolutely love life to the fullest!! And I know my girls did too. Oddly, it was both females who passed, the makes seem fine. But I couldn't find any info on that either

[Bogertophis]

Craig, I guess it's still possible that your two females just happened to inhale a minute trace of the virus that never made it to the others, if ferrets are so susceptible?
Even with humans, it seems that how sick a person gets depends in part on how much exposure they got. Whatever happened I'm sure was just out of your hands...

I never imagined that when I posted this just to give everyone with ferrets a "heads-up" that there had already been losses. so so sorry!

[GoingPostal]

Thanks. I've been keeping a very close eye on the other two. They're eating, not losing weight, still jumping around like goofballs. So I'm puzzled. Losing two in one day seems really strange. I was in complete shock when I found one, nevermind two.

I always go through the "I'm a bad pet dad" and "I did something wrong" phase after losing a pet, but this one has me truly stumped. I'm confident I didn't do anything wrong, and I know they lived great, happy ferret lives. But I would love answers. I didn't get necropsies done, so I'll never know though.

But I'm not blaming myself, I know I take great care of my pets. They live better than I do, hahahhahaha. It's just hard to not blame myself when I dont have another answer.
,
But you're so right, ferrets absolutely love life to the fullest!! And I know my girls did too. Oddly, it was both females who passed, the makes seem fine. But I couldn't find any info on that either

Mine was a big healthy boy so it was a shocker to me as well, his sister has always been super tiny and is borderline insulinomic so I always thought she would be the first to go tbh. They were just at the vet for checkups a month or so earlier too. He was fine the night before, eating and running around, but in the morning he was on the verge of death, already cold and barely breathing. The local vet isn't ferret savvy or well equipped so I just had them help him across the bridge as there was no way he'd make it to my vet. I kept a close eye on my girl left, but it's hard to tell if her not really eating or moving around for awhile were actual illness or just sadness. They take losses hard sometimes. She's back to normal now either way. Very sorry for your own losses, I call them heartbreak pets because owning ferrets is rough.

[Aerries]

I have my two goofs Loki and Freya, Marshall ferrets are the worst sadly.... Insulinoma and various illnesses plague these amazing animals. Both mine are Marshall ferrets but I can tell you this...with them being on a raw diet makes a world of difference ! Never feed Marshall food first ingredient is corn....they’re obligated meat eaters and can’t digest that crap, to be honest it’s cheaper in the long run to feed a balanced raw diet then deal with the vets, and your babies live better and longer.
My girl Freya playing with a water bottle for tax

[Bogertophis]

Here we go again:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/28/us/or...rnd/index.html

An Oregon mink farm has reported a Covid-19 outbreak

By Alaa Elassar, CNN
Updated 7:23 PM ET, Sat November 28, 2020


(CNN)An Oregon mink farm has reported an outbreak of coronavirus among mink and farmworkers.

Ten mink samples submitted all came back positive for coronavirus, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) said in a news release on Friday. The farm has been placed under quarantine, meaning "no animal or animal product can leave the farm until further notice," according to ODA.


10,000 mink are dead in Covid-19 outbreaks at US fur farms after virus believed spread by humans


The farmer and his staff have been advised to self-isolate after multiple coronavirus cases were reported among workers on the farm, the release said.
"We have been engaged with the Oregon mink industry for some time, providing information on biosecurity to prevent the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 and were ready to respond," ODA veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said.

"The farmer did the right thing by self-reporting symptoms very early and he is now cooperating with us and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in taking care of his animals and staff. So far, we have no reports of mink mortalities linked to the virus but that could change as the virus progresses."
A public health veterinarian team is working with those affected by the outbreak by ensuring staff have personal protective equipment and the supplies needed to follow coronavirus guidance, according to OHA.

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"Worker safety is critical to protect people and animals on mink farms," said OHA public health veterinarian Dr. Emilio DeBess. "Our best weapon against the virus right now is education. We are providing testing, specific workplace guidance and support, and supplying additional PPE to the farmer, the employees and their families to help reduce further spread of the virus."


Coronavirus could drive the last nail into the mink fur trade


This year, the virus was detected in mink in seven countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and Spain, and three US states, Utah, Michigan, and Wisconsin, according to ODA.
Thousands of mink have died at fur farms in Utah and Wisconsin after a series of coronavirus outbreaks. In Utah, ranchers have lost at least 8,000 mink to Covid-19.


There is currently no evidence that animals, including mink, play a significant role in transmitting the virus to humans, according to the CDC and the US Department of Agriculture. The risk of animals spreading Covid-19 to humans is considered low.
The USDA announces confirmed coronavirus cases in animals each time it is found in a new species. All confirmed cases in animals are posted on the department's website.

CNN's Cheri Mossburg and Brian Ries contributed to this report.

[Bogertophis]

So today I got this email from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to sign a petition to ban the fur trade (I'm not a member but I do sign my share of petitions). What follows is an excerpt from their letter that I found interesting enough to share, especially since it's contradictory to what our CDC & USDA have said (see my post above), but keep in mind that some of our agencies have not been fully forthcoming either, esp. lately. So it's just "food for thought", okay? A yellow "caution" light...perhaps the HSUS is exaggerating, but perhaps not? Quoting > > >

Hundreds of mink farms in countries, including the Netherlands, USA, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Lithuania, have been found to have animals infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. On farms in Denmark, the virus has already mutated into new strains, which have, in turn, infected people. Disease prevention experts have expressed grave concerns, including the European Centre for Disease Control who stated in a November report that the evolution of the virus in mink could undermine the effectiveness of future vaccines in humans. The report also found that "continued transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms may eventually give rise to other variants of concern".