Fashion
Mutant Virus in Mink Raises Doubts About the Future of Fur
- Mink farmers alarmed by links to coronavirus mutation
- Fur industry argues it has a place in the ‘circular economy’
Versace, Gucci and Prada have all joined the anti-fur movement in recent years. But the latest body blow to the industry was just delivered courtesy of Covid-19, via a mutation of the virus found in mink.
The animals have emerged as highly efficient spreaders of the coronavirus, potentially complicating efforts to control a pandemic that’s already claimed more than a million human lives. Last week, Denmark revealed it had found a variant of the virus that officials fear could be so disruptive that it justified ordering the extermination of the country’s entire mink population -- 17 million animals.