Subclinical and long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Danish farmed mink: implications for disease surveillance

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.