Mortality of mink kits represents a significant loss to production. However, causes of post-weaning mortality in mink kits in modern Danish mink production systems are still relatively poorly documented. We performed a cross-sectional mortality study on eight Danish mink farms including 1893 post mortem examinations of mink kits found dead or euthanized. We assessed the prevalence of cystitis and urolithiasis leading to mortality. Gross pathological findings as well as animal characteristics were recorded and associations with post mortem microbiology (using culture and MaldiTof-MS Vitek MS system) were investigated.

Cystitis and/or urolithiasis were associated with death in 33 % (n = 476) and 37 % (n = 166) of the examined mink kits in 2015 and 2017. On farm level, the prevalence of cystitis and/or urolithiasis leading to mortality varied from 0.25 % to 1.27 % with a low overall mortality of 0.9–4.5 %. The bacterial agent most frequently isolated in post mortem bladder swabs from mink with a post mortem diagnosis of urolithiasis and cystitis was Staphylococcus delphini group A (51/283) with a significant (p < 0.0001, CI = [19.5;4745.7]) association to gross pathological findings in the urinary tract. Staphylococcus delphini group A was cultured from 70 % of the skin swabs obtained from apparently healthy mink euthanized at pelting (n = 222). In conclusion urinary tract disease (cystitis and urolithiasis) was the most prevalent post mortem diagnosis during the growth period and was associated with Staphylococcus delphini group A.

貂皮套件的死亡率代表着生产的重大损失。但是，在现代丹麦貂皮生产系统中，貂皮套件中断奶后死亡率的成因仍然相对较差。我们对八个丹麦水貂养殖场进行了横断面死亡率研究，包括对死于或安乐死的水貂工具包进行的1893次验尸检查。我们评估了导致死亡的膀胱炎和尿石症的患病率。记录总体病理发现以及动物特征，并调查与死后微生物的关联（使用培养和MaldiTof-MS Vitek MS系统）。

在2015年和2017年，膀胱炎和/或尿石症与死亡的貂皮套件分别占33％（n = 476）和37％（n = 166）的死亡。在农场一级，膀胱炎和/或尿石症的流行导致死亡率从0.25％到1.27％不等，总体死亡率较低，为0.9-4.5％。在死后膀胱拭子中从水貂中分离出的具有死后诊断为尿路结石和膀胱炎的细菌是最常见的细菌葡萄球菌A型葡萄球菌（51/283）（p <0.0001，CI = [19.5; 4745.7]）与尿路的总体病理发现。金黄色葡萄球菌A组由70％的皮肤拭子培养而成，该拭子取自明显健康的貂皮，在貂皮处安乐死（n = 222）。总之，泌尿道疾病（膀胱炎和尿路结石病）是生长期死后诊断中最普遍的疾病，与A型葡萄球菌有关。