Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 776 million confirmed cases and more than 7 million deaths worldwide. In addition to humans, various animal species have exhibited natural infections, with mink being the only farmed animals consistently linked to severe illness and zoonotic...
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00813-w |
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| author | Michelle Lauge Quaade Mia Mylin Jensen Thomas Bruun Rasmussen Tim Kåre Jensen Anne Sofie Hammer |
| author_facet | Michelle Lauge Quaade Mia Mylin Jensen Thomas Bruun Rasmussen Tim Kåre Jensen Anne Sofie Hammer |
| author_sort | Michelle Lauge Quaade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 776 million confirmed cases and more than 7 million deaths worldwide. In addition to humans, various animal species have exhibited natural infections, with mink being the only farmed animals consistently linked to severe illness and zoonotic transmission to humans. This study investigates histological pulmonary lesions in Danish farm mink infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), focusing on groups with different clinical signs and outcomes. Results Histopathological evaluations revealed lesions in SARS-CoV-2-positive mink with and without clinical signs of disease. The main findings in lungs from SARS-CoV-2-positive mink in all study groups were extensive respiratory epithelial damage, acute diffuse alveolar damage, and vascular lesions, including the formation of thrombi. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining confirmed the presence of viral particles primarily in the respiratory epithelia. Lymphoid cells exhibited nodular and perivascular aggregates similar to bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in older SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected mink, indicating a potential age-related feature of mink lungs. Conclusions The presence of subclinical and long-term pulmonary lesions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections in farm mink suggests that the impact of outbreaks may be more serious than clinical signs records indicate. The current SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system on Danish mink farms does not properly address such problems and repeated outbreaks on farms could occur without detection if there are no clinical signs or increased mortality due to SARS-CoV-2. The severity of subclinical lesions reveals hidden health and welfare challenges in mink, underscoring the need for improved prevention measures, surveillance and understanding of long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mink. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a342c19c66d34e939dda9ff638644980 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1751-0147 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica |
| spelling | doaj-art-a342c19c66d34e939dda9ff6386449802025-08-20T02:05:39ZengBMCActa Veterinaria Scandinavica1751-01472025-06-0167111210.1186/s13028-025-00813-wSubclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillanceMichelle Lauge Quaade0Mia Mylin Jensen1Thomas Bruun Rasmussen2Tim Kåre Jensen3Anne Sofie Hammer4Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenDepartment of Virus and Microbiological Special Diagnostics, Statens Serum InstitutDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 776 million confirmed cases and more than 7 million deaths worldwide. In addition to humans, various animal species have exhibited natural infections, with mink being the only farmed animals consistently linked to severe illness and zoonotic transmission to humans. This study investigates histological pulmonary lesions in Danish farm mink infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), focusing on groups with different clinical signs and outcomes. Results Histopathological evaluations revealed lesions in SARS-CoV-2-positive mink with and without clinical signs of disease. The main findings in lungs from SARS-CoV-2-positive mink in all study groups were extensive respiratory epithelial damage, acute diffuse alveolar damage, and vascular lesions, including the formation of thrombi. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining confirmed the presence of viral particles primarily in the respiratory epithelia. Lymphoid cells exhibited nodular and perivascular aggregates similar to bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in older SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected mink, indicating a potential age-related feature of mink lungs. Conclusions The presence of subclinical and long-term pulmonary lesions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections in farm mink suggests that the impact of outbreaks may be more serious than clinical signs records indicate. The current SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system on Danish mink farms does not properly address such problems and repeated outbreaks on farms could occur without detection if there are no clinical signs or increased mortality due to SARS-CoV-2. The severity of subclinical lesions reveals hidden health and welfare challenges in mink, underscoring the need for improved prevention measures, surveillance and understanding of long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mink.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00813-wCOVID-19HistopathologyImmunohistochemistryMinkPathologySARS-CoV-2 |
| spellingShingle | Michelle Lauge Quaade Mia Mylin Jensen Thomas Bruun Rasmussen Tim Kåre Jensen Anne Sofie Hammer Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica COVID-19 Histopathology Immunohistochemistry Mink Pathology SARS-CoV-2 |
| title | Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance |
| title_full | Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance |
| title_fullStr | Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance |
| title_short | Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance |
| title_sort | subclinical and long term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in danish farmed mink implications for disease surveillance |
| topic | COVID-19 Histopathology Immunohistochemistry Mink Pathology SARS-CoV-2 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-025-00813-w |
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