USDA Reports First Case of COVID-19 in a Wild Animal
A wild mink in Utah is the first recorded coronavirus infection in a wild, free-range animal.
- By Nikki Johnson Bolden
- Dec 18, 2020
The USDA reported the first known case of COVID-19 found in a wild animal on December 13, according to BBC News.
A wild mink that was found around an infected farm in Utah tested positive for coronavirus. Other wild species in the area were tested, but their results were negative. The USDA has alerted the World Organization for Animal Health of the case.
“To our knowledge, this is the first free-ranging, native wild animal confirmed with Sars-CoV-2,” the USDA said.
This case has raised the question of whether coronavirus could spread among wild mink and other wildlife.