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Six countries, including Denmark and the United States, have reported tracking new coronavirus cases related to farms that raise mink animals for their fur, according to the World Health Organization..
The other countries that have detected cases of SARS-Cove-2 in mink animals are Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, according to the WHO statement..
And Denmark had warned that the mutation of the virus could jeopardize the efficacy of any future vaccine and had ordered the elimination of all these animals in its territory, which are estimated between 15 and 17 million..
On Saturday, Britain barred all non-resident foreigners from Denmark after the mutant virus associated with mink farms was detected in humans..
Scientists say that viral mutations are common and often harmless, and the current mutation of the virus does not cause more serious disease in humans..
But Danish health authorities have expressed concern that the new strain, called “focus 5”, is not inhibited by antibodies to the same degree as the normal virus, which is what authorities fear could threaten the effectiveness of vaccines. developed all over the world..
“Initial observations indicate that the clinical situation, severity and transmission among infected people are similar to those caused by other viruses circulating from SARS-Cove-2,” the organization’s statement said on Friday.
“However, this strain (Focal strain 5) has a mixture of mutations or changes that have not been previously observed. The implications of the changes seen in this strain are not yet well understood. “
The UN agency said preliminary results indicate that this strain, which is associated with mink, has a “moderately low sensitivity to neutralizing antibodies.”
WHO called for further studies to confirm the initial results and “to understand any potential effects of those results with respect to diagnoses, treatments and vaccines in development.”
The organization noted that “despite the belief that the virus is related to bats, its origin and its intermediate host from SARS-Cove-2 have not yet been determined.”
Since June 2020, 214 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Denmark with strains linked to mink farms, including 12 cases with a single strain registered on November 5..
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