Bird flu has spread for more than two months on a Utah mink farm that raises thousands of animals for fur, according to a CNN report on a ProPublica investigation. ProPublica said state agriculture officials learned in mid-August that mink were dying of the virus at C and T Fenn Farms, about an hour south of Salt Lake City near Payson. Unlike poultry farms, where a single positive bird can force a full flock cull with federal pay, there is no federal playbook for sick mink.

Flu experts said in the ProPublica investigation that the farm is a dangerous mix: crowded mink with airways similar to humans, ongoing infections, and little public notice. The investigation said state and federal officials did little beyond trying to keep the outbreak quiet. One expert called the response playing with fire.

Utah adopted what the state veterinarian described to ProPublica as a sit-and-wait approach. A state agriculture spokesperson later said the CDC still rates the risk to the general public as low and that officials are working with partners on control options. The spokesperson confirmed there is no plan to kill the mink. The farm owner and state health department had not posted a detailed public reply on the pages reviewed.

What we know: According to CNN and ProPublica, bird flu has raged for months on a Utah mink farm without a cull order.
What we don't: Only CNN and ProPublica have reported this investigation so far. NewsHabit hasn't seen independent confirmation. Whether the virus has mutated, infected workers, or spread off the farm remains unclear on those pages.