All minks to be euthanized in Ireland amid concerns over Denmark’s mutated coronavirus strain

ALL MINK IN Ireland will be euthanized in the coming weeks as a precautionary measure amid concerns about a variant of the coronavirus discovered on Danish mink farms.

Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan is understood to have written to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue recommending such a move.

Mink owners will be compensated in the short term, but they will not be able to replace the animals, it is understood. Homeowners will receive a more comprehensive compensation package in the future.

Earlier this month, the government said that anyone arriving from Denmark in Ireland will be asked to restrict their movements for two weeks.

There are currently three Irish mink farms, and the Department of Agriculture confirmed that no minks were imported in 2020.

The Department of Agriculture said earlier this month that it will test all three farms to see if the virus is present in the Irish mink.

According to the Health Department, the HSE was planning to serially test all mink farm workers, as well as their household contacts.

As the world’s largest mink fur producer, Denmark has 1,080 mink farms, and Covid-19 was detected in 207 of them.

According to the World Health Organization, on November 5, Danish health authorities reported 12 cases of Covid-19 that were caused by a mink-associated strain of the new coronavirus.

Eight of these cases had ties to mink farms, while the remaining four were from the local community.

Denmark ordered the removal of all minks on November 4 for fear the mutated virus could threaten the efficacy of any future human vaccines.

On Wednesday, Denmark’s agriculture minister, Mogens Jensen, resigned following criticism of his handling of the country’s orderly slaughter of minks.

He admitted last week that the government’s order to euthanize all of Denmark’s 15 to 17 million minks had no legal basis.

With reporting by Christina Finn, Michelle Hennessy and AFP.