Bird flu outbreak at Utah mink farm sparks concerns about government response

State veterinarian attempted to get help from federal government but was told USDA didn’t regulate mink farms

An outbreak of bird flu at a mink farm in Utah – and the response from its owner and regulators – have sparked concerns from infectious disease experts about the Trump administration’s ability to manage such viruses.

While the mink becoming sick is unlikely to produce a “tidal wave of human infections”, an apparent lack of transparency from government officials about the infections is very troubling, said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiology professor and director of the pandemic center at Brown University School of Public Health.