Naturally occurring picornavirus infection of domestic mink

The isolation and preliminary characterization of a virus from domestic mink- are reported. The virus was tentatively classified as a member of the family Picornaviridae on the basis of its physicochemical properties. The mink virus was not neutralized by antiserum to some known members of the calicivirus genus, which included the nine serotypes of vesicular exanthema of swine virus, ten serotypes of San Miguel sea lion virus and feline calicivirus. Seroepidemiological studies indicated that the incidence of mink virus infection was widespread in domestic mink populations. Although the virus was isolated from mink on ranches with a history of hemorrhagic pneumonia (pseudomonas pneumonia), no specific disease process could be attributed to the virus infection.