MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin animal health officials are cautioning the state’s mink producers about the dangers of the coronavirus following outbreaks among animals on several farms in Europe, spurring renewed calls from animal rights activists to ban the fur trade. There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the state’s $223 million mink industry, which is the largest in the U.S. Still, the Wisconsin State Journal reports that producers say they are taking precautions to protect their herds. Kevin Hoffman, spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, says federal guidance was disseminated earlier this month to veterinarians who work with the state’s mink ranches.
