Coronavirus found in mink farms in six countries, according to WHO

northFollowing the alarming news about mutated coronaviruses transmitted from mink to humans in Denmark, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that infected minks have so far been reported in six countries. Sars-CoV-2 has been detected in mink in Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United States, the WHO said. Britain issued an entry ban for Danes on Saturday.

With one exception, the coronaviruses seen in mink around the world are largely “similar” to other common variants of Sars-CoV-2, according to the WHO. Only the “Cluster 5” mutation of the virus in Denmark is of concern: the potential effects on diagnosis, therapies and vaccine efficacy are largely unexplored and “not yet well understood,” warned WHO. Scientists fear that the “Cluster 5” mutation could affect the effectiveness of future vaccines.

Denmark has so far reported not only a few affected animals, but also twelve people infected with the ‘Cluster 5’ mutation. Therefore, the government has ordered the emergency slaughter of the 15 to 17 million minks in the country; Parts of Jutland were cut off from the outside world. According to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, more than 280,000 people are affected.

Entry ban for Danes

The UK barred all Danes who are not permanent UK residents from entering the UK early Saturday morning. Foreigners who want to enter through Denmark are also subject to the ban. “The decision to act quickly follows the announcement by the Danish health authorities, which reported widespread outbreaks of coronavirus in mink farms,” ​​Transport Minister Grant Shapps wrote on the short message platform Twitter.