Over 100 types of viruses have been discovered on fur farms in China, some of which are new and have the potential to infect humans.
This is the result of a study published in the journal Nature on September 4. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have warned that raising mammals like minks for fur could facilitate the easy spread of new viruses from wildlife, leading to new outbreaks.
Two workers transporting fur at a factory in Henan Province, China. (Photo: Getty Images).
Virologist Edward Holmes from the University of Sydney (Australia) stated that he believes the global fur farming industry is one of the sectors most likely to trigger a new pandemic.
Professor Holmes is a co-author of a new study examining the potential dangers posed by viruses in fur farms in China, a country believed to have recorded the first COVID-19 case at the end of 2019.
The research team sequenced DNA from lung and intestinal samples of 461 animals from fur-bearing species such as minks, rabbits, foxes, and badgers that died from disease across China between 2021 and 2024. Most of these animals were raised on fur farms in provinces like Hebei, Shandong, Heilongjiang, and Liaoning. Some were also raised for food or traditional Chinese medicine, while about 50 were wild animals. The researchers identified 125 types of viruses, including 36 new ones. Among these, 39 viruses were assessed to pose a “high risk” of cross-species transmission, potentially even infecting humans.
Some viruses, such as Hepatitis E and Japanese Encephalitis, have been documented to infect humans. This includes seven types of Coronaviruses, although they are not closely related to SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.
The virus that concerns Professor Holmes the most is Pi-BatCoV HKU5, previously identified in bats but now found in the lungs of two farmed minks. This virus is a relative of the Coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). “The transmission of this virus from bats to farmed minks is a warning bell. This virus needs to be monitored,” emphasized Holmes.
It is believed that there are thousands of unknown viruses circulating among wild mammals. Scientists are worried that fur farming could expose domestic animals to such viruses, thereby infecting humans.
The researchers have called for increased surveillance of fur-bearing animals, particularly minks, badgers, and guinea pigs, which have been identified as the highest risk species. Denmark previously culled its entire mink population due to COVID-19 concerns in 2020.
