Association between Fur Animal Necrotizing Pyoderma in breeding farm mink (Neovison vison) and reduced fertility

Abstract

Background The disease Fur Animal Necrotizing Pyoderma (FNP) has since 2000 been reported in many fur producing countries including Canada, Finland and Denmark. Development of FNP is characterised by rapidly forming treatment-resistant wounds on paws and in the head region. Economic losses related to FNP have been associated with mortality and decreased fur quality as well as increased veterinary costs. Also it has been suggested that FNP may be associated with reduced production results for breeding mink. The aim of this study was to evaluate if there is an association between FNP lesions in breeding animals and reduced production results based on a retrospective cohort study. Results 1465 breeding animals (244 males and 1221 females) were followed during the breeding season 2019 on five Danish mink farms. Two farms were removed from the analysis since no occurrence of FNP appeared in the observation group. After exclusion, 846 breeding animals (148 males and 698 females) remained in the analysis and were divided into two groups: exposed (EXP) or non-exposed (N-EXP) depending on the disease history of the males during mating. Females exposed to FNP positive males during breeding in average produce 14% fewer kits (P = 0.032) and these females were also more than double as likely to produce small litters (N ≥ 3) than N-EXP females. Female’s from the EXP group were introduced more times to males than females in the N-EXP group (P = 0.0001, 2.5 more times in average). Females in the EXP group did not have a statistically higher risk of becoming barren (P = 0.138) though the relative risk of becoming barren was 77% higher after encountering a FNP male. Conclusions This study shows that FNP has more economic losses for the farms than direct loss of animals. Females in contact with males with FNP lesion during breeding have a higher risk of becoming barren, and produce significantly fewer kits compared to females whom haven’t been in contact with a FNP positive male.

Surveillance and control of SARS‐CoV‐2 in mustelids: An evolutionary perspective

“…Transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 among American mink ( Neovison vison ), farmed for its fur (see Figure 1 and Box 2 ), is both highly efficient and prevalent, with ongoing outbreaks reported (up to 6 July 2021) in commercial units from 12 countries, in order of first occurrence: the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, USA, Sweden, Italy, Greece, France, Lithuania, Canada, Poland and Latvia (OIE, 2021b ). Further outbreaks are likely to have been missed amid high background morbidity and mortality levels inherent to such intensive production system (Compo et al, 2017 ; Honoré et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2014 ; Wilson et al, 2015 ). Mink infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 display a range of clinical signs from asymptomatic infection, watery to mucoid nasal discharge and/or inappetence, to severe dyspnoea and sudden deaths (Molenaar et al, 2020 ), with varying morbidity and mortality among farms (Boklund et al, 2021 ; Hammer et al, 2021 ; OIE, 2021a ).…”

“…Further outbreaks are likely to have been missed amid high background morbidity and mortality levels inherent to such intensive production system (Compo et al, 2017;Honoré et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2014;Wilson et al, 2015). Mink infected with SARS-CoV-2 display a range of clinical signs from asymptomatic infection, watery to mucoid nasal discharge and/or inappetence, to severe dyspnoea and sudden deaths (Molenaar et al, 2020), with varying morbidity and mortality among farms (Boklund et al, 2021;Hammer et al, 2021;OIE, 2021a).…”