Enteric viromes of healthy farmed mink (Neovison vison) from Shandong and Liaoning provinces, China.

Abstract

Farmed mink (Neovison vison) is the most common animal species used for fur farming in China. Several viruses identified in mink can be transmitted to humans, including SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that this species could play an important role in zoonotic disease emergence. Characterizing the virus diversity of farmed mink is therefore important for the prevention and mitigation of emerging infectious diseases. We utilized meta-transcriptomic sequencing to determine the enteric viromes of 109 apparently healthy farmed mink from Shandong and Liaoning provinces, China. Using this approach, we identified 34 viruses belonging to 11 viral families/clades. Several important avian- or fish-associated viruses were detected, including astroviruses, caliciviruses, picornaviruses, rotaviruses, parvoviruses, and gyroviruses. Many of these viruses were likely associated with mink diet, indicating that food sources such as uncooked poultry or fish by-products can serve as effective transmission routes of avian and fish viruses to mink. Of particular note, we identified a high prevalence of mink coronavirus in these animals, which is potentially associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. In sum, our study revealed a diverse range of vertebrate viruses in farmed mink and likely viral transmission to mink via the food chain. Further investigation is necessary to determine the impact of these viruses on mink health and for zoonotic disease preparedness.