The US mink farming industry is spreading tens of thousands of COVID-19 infections in ways that could lead to mutation, untraceable transmission among wild populations of mink, and long term risks to our nation.

Mink are the only known animal able to catch COVID-19 from human beings, and to also transmit it back to human beings. The Netherlands was the first country to disclose an outbreak of COVID-19 at mink farms, and in response, the Dutch government shut down the entire mink farming industry. 

But with COVID-19 spreading across mink farms in multiple US states, our government is taking a different approach: lying about the threat to protect the industry. 

Documents DxE and partner groups recently uncovered show that the government has knowingly made false statements about the threat in mink farms and even blamed animal rights activists. 

In one disturbing example, the Utah government told the public that no wild mink had tested positive for the disease when, in fact, the spread to wild animals had already been reported to international disease experts. They also concealed the death of a farm employee.

Putting the industry’s profits above public health is unacceptable. We must take action to end mink farming now.

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