Testing for Aleutian Disease in
Minks
AGRICULTURE/MARKETING--Testing for Aleutian Disease in Minks
Agriculture and Marketing Minister Ed Lorraine announced today that his department will not charge mink producers for submitting additional blood samples from the animals this month and February to be tested for Aleutian Disease.
The disease, first identified in 1941, is specific to minks and affects their reproduction and the quality of the herd.
"The increased demand for testing is due to a growth in the province's mink industry, not an increase in the occurrence of the disease," said Mr. Lorraine.
"Mink is a growth sector of the agriculture industry, and the number of pelts has increased," he said. "Testing is therefore being done on more animals to ensure the health and quality of the herd.
"We wanted to assure producers that the department will have the resources to handle the additional samples at no additional cost to them."
Since the 1970s, the department and the mink industry have been working to eradicate the disease through the Aleutian Disease Program, which encourages producers to submit blood samples to the department's pathology lab three times a year.
Diseased animals are culled from the ranch population.
For 1997, the number of mink pelts produced in Nova Scotia is projected to be 350,000 --making the province the largest producer in Canada. In 1996, the mink industry contributed $16 million to the provincial economy, helping sustain rural areas such as Digby County.