In France, four mink farms are still active: in these establishments (which are regularly under fire from animal welfare associations and which should soon cease to exist, according to an official decision taken in September 2020 ), mink are raised and then killed, mainly for the benefit of the luxury industry.
But this time around, mink is in the news for health reasons. On November 22, the government announced the slaughter of all 1,000 animals still present in one of the farms, where the Covid-19.
After analyzes, the Sanitary Agency Anses, specifies this December 9 that “the sequencing analysis of the virus discovered in the breeding of Eure-et-Loir makes it possible to exclude any contamination by the variant SARS-COV-2. ” Local transmission from humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 is the most likely source of contamination in mink from this farm, according to ANSES.
ANSES was also contacted on November 27 to define the appropriate procedures for monitoring the SARS-Cov-2 infection to be put in place in the three farms, for mink as well as for workers in contact with these animals. His opinion is expected in mid-December.
Mink-transmitted mutation could compromise vaccine effectiveness
Remember that SARS-CoV-2 contaminations have been observed for the first time in Denmark. According to the Danish Infectious Disease Control Authority (SSI), a specific mutation of the Sars-Cov-2 virus is developing in these small carnivorous mammals … and it could be transmitted to humans. Thus, Denmark would be confronted since June 2020 with cases of coronavirus in many mink farms – mainly in the north of the Jutland region, where 12 cases have already been detected.
After Denmark, the Irish government said Thursday, November 19, that it planned to slaughter the country’s farmed mink for fear that they would carry a mutation transmissible to humans of the SARS-CoV- 2.
Covid-19 infection also spreads to the Netherlands and more recently to Sweden and Greece – isolated cases have been detected in Italy and Spain. Cases are also reported in the United States of America.
What is the problem ? While this mutation of the virus does not necessarily lead to more severe Covid-19 symptoms, it “does not respond to antibodies as much as the normal virus. Antibodies still have an effect, but not as effective“said the head of the ISS, Kåre Mølbak at the beginning of November. This could compromise the effectiveness of the vaccines against Covid-19 which are currently being developed around the world …”Virus mutated via mink may create risk that future vaccine will not work as it should“summed up this Wednesday, November 4, 2020 the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.
To prevent the transmission of this “new” coronavirus, Denmark has therefore made a difficult decision: breeders have been ordered to slaughter the 15 million mink currently raised in the country. “Continuing to breed mink would involve a much higher risk to public health, both in Denmark and abroad“Kåre Mølbak justified.
Loïc Dombreval, deputy (LREM) of the Alpes-Maritimes had on this occasion suggested integrating veterinarians into the Scientific Council for “a better understanding and management of animal reservoirs of infectious agents, but also of their routes of transmission and adaptation to humans“.
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