Hundreds of COVID-infected minks may have escaped from Danish fur farms and spread new coronavirus strains

Every year, thousands of minks flee from Danish fur farms, and 5% of the farm minks are infected with COVID-19, so there can be hundreds of disease carriers in the wild. Scientists warn that sick mink could create new uncontrolled reservoirs and vectors for infecting humans with the coronavirus.

Mink has been associated with new strains of the virus that may pose a risk to future COVID vaccines.Initiatives for Mink infected with selection in Denmark began in June, but outbreaks continue on mink farms...

Sten Mortensen, Veterinary Research Manager at the Danish Veterinary Food Department, said: Parents: “Thousands of minks escape each year because they are invasive species and hunters and trappers kill thousands of wild minks each year. The number of escaped minks is very stable. “

According to Mortensen, about 5 percent of the escaped mink was at risk of being infected with the virus this year.

Mortensen said the most likely methods of transmission in the wild are animals that eat infected mink or through feces. However, he added, because mink is a “very lonely creature,” the escaped mink has a low risk of infecting other animals.

When mink spreads the virus to other animals, it is most likely to be transmitted to wild animals such as ferrets and raccoon dogs, and “sensitive livestock” such as cats.

Scientists have warned that escaped mink could invade the wild and spread the virus.

Joan Santini, a professor of microbiology at the University College London, the capital of the United Kingdom, said: Parents: “The virus has the potential to expand its host range [and] It infects other animal species that normally cannot be infected. It will be very difficult to control it further spreading to animals and then returning to humans. “

Marion Coupmans, Head of Virus Sciences at the Erasmus Medical Center at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, said: Parents: “Sars-CoV-2 may continue to circulate on large farms or be introduced into fleeing wild weasels [weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks, and wolverines] Or other wildlife.

“Theoretically, as with bird flu and swine flu viruses, [the virus could] It continues to evolve in animal hosts, forming a permanent pandemic threat to humans and animals, “Koopmans added.

Newsweek I contacted the Danish Veterinary Association and the Danish Ministry of Environmental Food for comment.

Dead mink slaughtered in Denmark reportedly rising from grave Last month as their bodies expanded during the decay process.

The mink corpse was disinfected and covered with lime before burial, according to Danish police spokesman Thomas Kristensen, who was deployed last month to help farmers dispose of millions of minks after the outbreak. When.

Christensen pointed out that live mink is often infected by exhaling COVID-19 into the atmosphere, so the risk of degradation products is small. But he warned that “a small amount of bacteria may still be trapped in the fur.”

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) said in a statement that the mink farm in Oregon was immediately quarantined after a case was reported between Mink and staff on Friday.

Dr. Ryan Schortz, a veterinarian in the state of ODA, said in a statement: “So far, there are no reports of virus-related mink mortality, but it can change as the virus progresses.”

“The farm has also reported cases of COVID-19 on staff, and in response, Dr. Emilio Debes, an OHA public health veterinarian, recommended self-isolation of farmers and staff,” the statement added.

Farms, employees and their families will continue to be monitored by ODA and OHA.

ODA states: “This year, the virus was detected internationally in seven countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and Spain, and in Mink, Utah, Michigan, and Wisconsin, USA. SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. Tested positive.

“By CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] And USDA-APHIS [United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service]Currently, there is no evidence that animals, including mink, play an important role in infecting humans with the virus. Animals are considered to have a low risk of spreading SARS-CoV-2 to humans, “added ODA.

Overall picture

The new coronavirus has infected more than 63.3 million people since it was first reported in Wuhan, China.

As of Tuesday, more than 1.4 million people have died and more than 40.6 million have recovered worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins.

The figure below is StatistaShows the countries with the highest cases of COVID-19.

The figure below is StatistaShows the total number of COVID-19 vaccines available in different countries.