Bird flu spread for months on a Payson mink farm with little response, ProPublica reports
A USDA dashboard shows seven captive mink in Utah testing positive; no culling was ordered and the state declared no emergency.
Based on reporting by ProPublica. Read the original story →
Bird flu has spread on C&T Fenn Farms, a mink fur farm in Payson, since mid-August, according to a ProPublica investigation republished by the Salt Lake Tribune. [1]
State agriculture officials learned of dying mink in mid-August, ProPublica reported, and a U.S. Department of Agriculture dashboard shows seven captive mink in Utah testing positive. State veterinarian Amanda Price sought federal help, but the USDA said it has no mink-specific regulatory authority and no approved vaccine. [1]
No culling was ordered and Utah did not declare an emergency, according to the investigation. The Utah County Health Department did not recommend testing a worker with a red eye, and state officials did not monitor workers for symptoms. Experts quoted by ProPublica called the response irresponsible. [1]
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