In an effort to stop the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Denmark has decided to kill all mink in farms across the country. The Danish government will slaughter millions of mink on over 1,000 farms, citing new coronavirus infections that could spread to humans.
The news was announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a press conference on Wednesday. Denmark is a global leader in mink fur export, and has over 15 million mink on around 1,100 farms. That population will now be eradicated after a few confirmed cases of mutated coronavirus infections ‘jumping’ on humans.
According to Kare Molbak, head of the Scandinavian country’s public health and infectious disease organization, the mutation could interfere with future vaccines. A total of 12 people in the Jutland region have been infected with the mutated virus, and reports show that it has a pretty weak reaction to antibodies, if at all.
It’s even more disappointing news regarding the coronavirus pandemic, as the world has been impatiently waiting for a vaccine to be discovered. The mutated mink coronavirus can spread to humans and it did in Denmark, Spain, and a few other European regions, resulting in Denmark’s planned radical approach.
No Scientific Context Yet
The SARSCoV2 ‘mink mutation’ has so far been the subject of news and press releases. Geneticists are warning that there’s no scientific context yet, proposing postponement of the culling until science has had its say.
Animal welfare organizations have been outraged by the news announcement, citing that no research has been peer-reviewed so far. There’s no clear evidence that the virus can jump from mink to humans. Until the link has been proven, slaughtering millions of mink will be seen as genocide by the same organizations.
Scientists have been closely observing the coronavirus mutations. The virus is mutating very slowly, but regularly. For example, a mutation labelled D614G in the spike proteins helps the virus to be transmitted easier. However, there is still no concrete evidence that this particular mutation increases the virulence or would affect an eventual vaccine.
The Culling is Already Underway
The Scandinavian country won’t wait for scientific evidence – the culling has already begun. Mink on more than 400 farms that were infected or at high risk have been eradicated, with new ones to follow. The move will wipe out a lucrative industry for Denmark, but the government is adamant that everything should be done to stop the transmission of the virus and the possible interference with an eventual vaccine.
Animals from the weasel family such as mink and ferrets can be easily infected with the coronavirus. While ferrets usually experience mild symptoms, mink, often kept in crowded conditions, experience severe reactions. This isn’t the first time the virus was seen in mink. Earlier this year, thousands of mink were killed in Utah because of a coronavirus outbreak.
While massive numbers of cases have not been confirmed yet, scientists are concerned about the virus infecting chimpanzees and other animals. What’s even more concerning is the fact that we don’t know what happens when the virus moves from one to another species. While chances are low, the virus may become more virulent and deadlier that way.
Sources: nytimes.com/ reuters.com
