Literature detail

One Health Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 in People and Animals on Multiple Mink Farms in Utah.

Caitlin M Cossaboom¹ Natalie M Wendling¹ Nathaniel M Lewis^2,3 Hannah Rettler² Robert R Harvey⁴ Brian R Amman¹ Jonathan S Towner¹ Jessica R Spengler¹ Robert Erickson⁵ Cindy Burnett² Erin L Young⁶ Kelly Oakeson⁶ Ann Carpenter¹ Markus H Kainulainen¹ Payel Chatterjee¹ Mike Flint¹ Anna Uehara⁷ Yan Li⁷ Jing Zhang⁷ Anna Kelleher⁷ Brian Lynch⁷ Adam C Retchless⁷ Suxiang Tong⁷ Ausaf Ahmad¹ Paige Bunkley¹ Claire Godino¹ Owen Herzegh¹ Jan Drobeniuc⁸ Jane Rooney⁹ Dean Taylor⁵ Casey Barton Behravesh¹

Affiliations 9 institutions

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, USA.
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Salt Lake City, UT 84129, USA.
Utah Public Health Laboratory, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Salt Lake City, UT 84129, USA.
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.

PMID 36680136 2022 Viruses eng epublish

PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

From July−November 2020, mink (Neogale vison) on 12 Utah farms experienced an increase in mortality rates due to confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We conducted epidemiologic investigations on six farms to identify the source of virus introduction, track cross-species transmission, and assess viral evolution. Interviews were conducted and specimens were collected from persons living or working on participating farms and from multiple animal species. Swabs and sera were tested by SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) and serological assays, respectively. Whole genome sequencing was attempted for specimens with cycle threshold values <30. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm. Sequence analysis showed high similarity between mink and human sequences on corresponding farms. On farms sampled at multiple time points, mink tested rRT-PCR positive up to 16 weeks post-onset of increased mortality. Workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink, and mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species; mink-to-human transmission was not identified. Our findings provide critical evidence to support interventions to prevent and manage SARS-CoV-2 in people and animals on mink farms and emphasizes the importance of a One Health approach to address emerging zoonoses.

animals coronavirus COVID-19 mink Neogale vison One Health SARS-CoV-2 zoonotic transmission COVID-19 One Health Animals Cats Dogs Farms Humans Mink SARS-CoV-2 Utah

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

13 total

Serological Evidence 4 records

Serological Evidence Extraction confidence 0.90

Key finding

Serological assays detected evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in at least one person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each of several Utah mink farms.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Swabs and sera were tested by SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) and serological assays, respectively. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: serological assay
Sample type: sera

Serological Evidence Extraction confidence 0.90

Key finding

Serological assays detected evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs on Utah mink farms.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: serological assay
Sample type: sera

Serological Evidence Extraction confidence 0.90

Key finding

Serological assays detected evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in feral cats on Utah mink farms.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: serological assay
Sample type: sera

Serological Evidence Extraction confidence 0.90

Key finding

Serological assays indicated SARS-CoV-2 infection in people living or working on affected Utah mink farms.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: serological assay
Sample type: sera

Spillover Event 3 records

Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.95

Key finding

Human workers transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to farmed mink on multiple Utah farms, indicating human-to-animal spillback.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink, and mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species.

Method: rRT-PCR; serology; whole genome sequencing; epidemiologic investigation
Study design: field surveillance
Transmission direction: human-to-animal
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.95

Key finding

Farmed mink infected with SARS-CoV-2 transmitted the virus to dogs and cats on the same farms, confirming animal-to-animal transmission involving secondary hosts but within the spillover context.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink, and mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species.

Method: rRT-PCR; serology; whole genome sequencing; epidemiologic investigation
Study design: field surveillance
Transmission direction: unknown
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.95

Key finding

Farmed mink infected with SARS-CoV-2 transmitted the virus to feral cats on the same farms, indicating secondary spread among animals following human-to-mink spillback.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink, and mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species.

Method: rRT-PCR; serology; whole genome sequencing; epidemiologic investigation
Study design: field surveillance
Transmission direction: unknown
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Zoonotic Surveillance 3 records

Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.95

Key finding

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance on Utah mink farms found rRT-PCR or serology positive results in farmed mink.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: rRT-PCR; serological assays; whole genome sequencing
Sample type: swabs; sera
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.90

Key finding

Dogs on Utah mink farms were found positive for SARS-CoV-2 by molecular or serological surveillance.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: rRT-PCR; serological assays; whole genome sequencing
Sample type: swabs; sera
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.90

Key finding

Feral cats on Utah mink farms were found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive by rRT-PCR or serology.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected by rRT-PCR or serology in ≥1 person, farmed mink, dog, and/or feral cat on each farm.

Method: rRT-PCR; serological assays; whole genome sequencing
Sample type: swabs; sera
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Cross Species Transmission 1 records

Cross Species Transmission Extraction confidence 0.95

Key finding

Mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species, demonstrating cross-species transmission among non-human animals on Utah mink farms.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Workers likely introduced SARS-CoV-2 to mink, and mink transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to other animal species; mink-to-human transmission was not identified.

Method: rRT-PCR; serology; whole genome sequencing
Study design: field surveillance
Transmission direction: animal-to-animal
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States

Genomic Evolution 1 records

Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.85

Key finding

Genomic comparison revealed that SARS-CoV-2 sequences from mink and humans on the same farms were highly similar.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Whole genome sequencing was attempted for specimens with cycle threshold values <30. Sequence analysis showed high similarity between mink and human sequences on corresponding farms.

Genes or proteins: whole genome
Analysis methods: whole genome sequencing; sequence analysis

Outbreak Investigation 1 records

Outbreak Investigation Extraction confidence 0.95

Key finding

Epidemiologic investigations identified SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in mink farms and assessed cross-species transmission to humans and other animals.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Method: epidemiologic investigations; interviews; rRT-PCR; serological assays; whole genome sequencing
Transmission direction: animal-to-animal
Geographic raw: Utah
Country inferred: United States
Outbreak setting: mink farms
Outbreak time: July−November 2020
Outbreak scale: 12 farms, multiple species affected

Citation context

References

54 references

Reference network

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Evidence overview

Evidence 13

Types 6

Virus 1

Host 6

Evidence types

Serological Evidence 4 Spillover Event 3 Zoonotic Surveillance 3 Cross Species Transmission 1 Genomic Evolution 1 Outbreak Investigation 1

Linked entities

Viruses

Hosts

Locations

Publication metadata

Journal: Viruses
Volume / Issue / Pages: 15 / 1 / -
ISSN: 1999-4915
Journal country: Switzerland
DOI: 10.3390/v15010096