Encephalopathy of mink: I. Epizootiologic and clinical observations

A new disease of mink characterized by progressive debility and locomotor disturbances has occurred on a number of Wisconsin mink farms during the past few years. Epizootiologic evidence suggests an infectious agent of long incubation. This characteristic along with histo-pathology which reveals largely degenerative changes in the brain suggests a disease strikingly similar to scrapie or rida of sheep.