Due to COVID-19, the Government of Denmark ordered to cull 17-million population of the Minks.
Minks were culled due to transmission of mutated version of coronavirus. Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) informed that Denmark has experienced spread of COVID-19 on mink farms since June 2020 and more than 207 farms in the country have been infected. Six countries have reported coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms including the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Italy and the US.
Mink farms consist of millions of these animals and they are susceptible to the virus, hence, it can spread rapidly and can also transfer to humans. The virus was initially transmitted from farm workers to the animal. As the virus can spill back to humans, the transmission can cause mutations in the virus creating another version of the same virus which can lead to less effective vaccine. One of the mink-associated variants identified in 12 humans so far may have moderately decreased sensitivity to neutralising antibodies.
“It remains a concern when any animal virus spills in to the human population, or when an animal population could contribute to amplifying and spreading a virus affecting humans. As viruses move between human and animal populations, genetic modifications in the virus can occur,” the WHO has said.
WHO has suggested a need for a study and evaluation of the potential implications of such transmission and vaccine development. It also suggested that countries should refrain from imposing any travel or trade restrictions of Denmark. But UK has already imposed a ban on visitors from Denmark.
Denmark is the world’s largest producer of mink fur. Even though millions of animals are being culled, the country has not passed a legislation for closing its mink fur sector. Netherlands is a top exporter of mink fur but it has planned to phase out fur farming by 2021. France is another country that recently announced a ban on mink fur farming by 2025.
