Consequences of outbreaks of influenza A virus in farmed mink (Neovison vison) in Denmark in 2009 and 2010

Influenza in mink (Neovison vison) is assumed to be rare, but outbreaks have previously been reported in farmed mink. The first report was from Swedish mink farms in 1984 which was caused by influenza A virus H10N4 of avian origin. In 2009 and 2010 outbreaks of respiratory disease were seen in several Danish mink farms.

In all of the farms, the clinical symptoms were upper respiratory tract symptoms with sneezing and coughing as the most dominant symptoms. Peracute deaths were seen in mink without any clinical symptoms. Influenza H3N2 was found detected by PCR in the lungs from diseased mink. The mean mortality rate was 1.20% (95% confidence intervals: 0.58–1.82) during the outbreak period.

Young mink and especially males were reported to be more likely to die. The outbreak in the farms varied from two to ten weeks. During the outbreak period most farms treated all mink with antimicrobials and four of these farms used feed medication in three weeks. The farmers, however, noted that the medication had little or no effect.

The most plausible way of transmission of the influenza is from the raw untreated pig waste containing lungs used in the production of mink feed. Because the first clinical symptoms were observed few weeks after the raw pig waste was added to the wet mink feed.