For decades, the European and American fur farming industry has supported the evolving fashion industry. However, in recent years, the ethicality of fur farming has become increasingly questioned due to claims of animal cruelty. Even more recently in 2019, the fur farming industry was accused of spreading diseases when infected animals were found in Finnish mink fur farms.
Finland would be joined by the Netherlands, the United States, and others, in reporting disease-carrying animals, partially due to the spread of COVID-19. In these countries, animals live in cramped spaces, leading to self-mutilation, fighting, and immunocompromising. In the wild, these animals do not live in restricted spaces. In particular, mink are individual and highly territorial animals. Given the first case of infected animals were mink, poor living conditions and inherent characteristics likely contribute to the rapid spread of disease. The disease-carrying capacity of these animals was linked with speculation of threats to public health due to their zoonotic capability.
To further understand the zoonotic (infectious illnesses that spread between animals and humans) potential of fur animals, a group of scientists conducted a mink study in 2020 based in China. It collected tissue samples from 450 mammals that died from 2021 to 2024 likely due to disease. The study found that 335 host samples had at least one virus species, which was a 60 percent increase in virus host range compared to previous knowledge. Of the virus species found, there were 15 that could be transmitted between different types of fur animals and 11 had zoonotic transmission potential.
Given these findings, experts proposed increased surveillance and research of high-priority species, namely mink, guinea pigs and raccoon dogs, as they were found to have the most virus species. While some claim that increased biosecurity measures could prevent disease from being transmitted to humans, others argue for the full restriction of the fur trade in America and Europe. In the U.S., the Mink VIRUS Act was proposed to minimize mink farming to prevent threats to public well-being. Various European countries have proposed shutting down all mink fur farming facilities temporarily in the past.
To support efforts to limit the spread of diseases in the fur industry, one can educate oneself about recent fur farming studies, including the one on mink in China. At the same time, one can minimize their purchasing of fur-containing fashion products and furniture.
Policy-wise, Americans can encourage their state representative to pass the Mink VIRUS Act through Born Free USA to not only limit the zoonotic potential of mink but also help the United States become an exemplar for other countries to follow.
CONTACTS: Co-sponsor the Mink VIRUS Act, advocacy.charityengine.net/Default.aspx?isid=2447.
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