New Research on Fur Farms and Viruses
A new study points to persistent risks posed by the animal fur trade.
Fur farms provide a breeding ground for viruses to thrive because they often have large populations of animals in close proximity. “Asia is one of the most active regions for fur animal farming and trading,” genomics researcher Shuo Su of Fudan University and his co-authors write in the study. “Despite this, little is known about the viruses that circulate in fur animals in this region.”
The study offers “another example of why fur farming is a public health risk, and needs to be much more tightly regulated and monitored,” says virologist Marion Koopmans of Erasmus University Medical Center. As the paper notes, this issue is not unique to China: Europe is the world’s leading producer of mink pelts.
