SARS-CoV-2,
Canada
Information received on 30/12/2020 from Dr Jaspinder Komal, Chief Veterinary Officer, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Canada
Summary
Report type Follow-up report No. 2
Date of start of the event 26/11/2020
Date of confirmation of the event 08/12/2020
Report date 30/12/2020
Date submitted to OIE 30/12/2020
Reason for notification Emerging disease
Morbidity 2 %
Mortality 2 %
Zoonotic impact Zoonotic disease
Causal agent SARS-CoV-2
Related reports Immediate notification (09/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 1 (21/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 2 (30/12/2020)
Follow-up report No. 3 (08/01/2021)
New outbreaks (1)
Outbreak 1 (BC-2020-002) Fraser Valley, British Columbia
Date of start of the outbreak 16/12/2020
Outbreak status Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit Farm
Affected animals
Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered
Mustelidae 950 33 33 0 917
Affected population BC-2020-002 Domestic American Mink (Neovison vison) commercial farm.
Summary of outbreaks Total outbreaks: 1
Total animals affected
Species Susceptible Cases Deaths Killed and disposed of Slaughtered
Mustelidae 950 33 33 0 917
Outbreak statistics
Species Apparent morbidity rate Apparent mortality rate Apparent case fatality rate Proportion susceptible animals lost*
Mustelidae 3.47% 3.47% 100.00% 100.00%
*Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter
Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection
  • Suspected human transmission
Epidemiological comments Samples taken on December 21st 2020 from a second mink farm in British Columbia tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at the provincial laboratory (E_Sarbeco PCR) and were confirmed to be positive at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease by PCR (SARS-CoV-2 Real Time RT-PCR for E and RdRp) on December 23. The mink on the second farm had shown clinical signs of diarrhea and increased mortality (3%). Initial testing has revealed no evidence of human SARS-CoV-2 infection in farm workers. Source of the outbreak is still under investigation. On both farms, slaughtered animals were voluntarily euthanized and frozen for pelting.
Control measures
Measures applied
  • Movement control inside the country
  • Quarantine
  • Slaughter
  • Vaccination permitted (if a vaccine exists)
  • No treatment of affected animals
Measures to be applied
  • Screening
Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type Species Test Test date Result
National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (National laboratory) American Mink real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) 23/12/2020 Positive
Animal Health Center (Regional Laboratory) American Mink real-time reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR) 21/12/2020 Positive
Future Reporting
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.
Map of outbreak locations