Clinical and Pathological Findings in SARS-CoV-2 Disease Outbreaks in Farmed Mink (Neovison vison)
Publication date
2020-09
Authors
Molenaar, Robert Jan
Vreman, Sandra
Hakze-van der Honing, Renate W
Zwart, Rob
de Rond, Jan
Weesendorp, Eefke
Smit, Lidwien
Koopmans, Marion
Bouwstra, Ruth
Stegeman, Arjan
Editors
Advisors
Supervisors
Document Type
Article
Metadata
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License
taverne
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, caused respiratory disease outbreaks with increased mortality in 4 mink farms in the Netherlands. The most striking postmortem finding was an acute interstitial pneumonia, which was found in nearly all examined mink that died at the peak of the outbreaks. Acute alveolar damage was a consistent histopathological finding in mink that died with pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 infections were confirmed by detection of viral RNA in throat swabs and by immunohistochemical detection of viral antigen in nasal conchae, trachea, and lung. Clinically, the outbreaks lasted for about 4 weeks but some animals were still polymerase chain reaction-positive for SARS-CoV-2 in throat swabs after clinical signs had disappeared. This is the first report of the clinical and pathological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in mink farms.
Keywords
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, COVID-19, mink, pneumonia, respiratory disease, zoonoses, Taverne
Citation
Molenaar, R J, Vreman, S, Hakze-van der Honing, R W, Zwart, R, de Rond, J, Weesendorp, E, Smit, L A M, Koopmans, M, Bouwstra, R, Stegeman, A & van der Poel, W H M 2020, 'Clinical and Pathological Findings in SARS-CoV-2 Disease Outbreaks in Farmed Mink (Neovison vison)', Veterinary Pathology, vol. 57, no. 5, pp. 653-657. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300985820943535