[ad_1]
Technically it is called “reverse spill“And it happens when humans transmit a virus to domestic or wild animals. In the midst of the Covid-19 emergency, this runs the risk of becoming a big problem. Not only because some animal species become ill and therefore can die, but also and above all because the same animals could become a new reservoir of the virus and make the pandemic even more difficult to control. Animals could also become the ideal host for the virus to transform into another new coronavirus. And thus follow up on new devastating pandemics. It is the worst case scenario of what has become an emergency in Denmark, due to the infection of millions of minks.
Sars Cov2 that went from man to mink has undergone a mutation that, in turn, has passed to man. This led the Danish government to order the slaughter of all minks grown in the country. A report by the Danish newspaper Berlingske reports 207 mink farms affected by the new coronavirus. The authorities have failed to contain the infections and the 17 million minks raised in Denmark will be euthanized, the Danish prime minister announced. Mette Frederiksen at a press conference held yesterday. For Frederiksen, in fact, the mutated virus would represent “a serious risk to public health and to the development of a vaccine.” The fear is that the spread of a different virus from the original will render vaccine development ineffective.. However, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said there are still no signs that the mutant virus is causing more severe symptoms than Covid-19 or rendering vaccines useless.
But we act with the utmost caution. For example, some areas of northern Jutland, the region of Denmark that connects to the European continent, will be isolated to block the spread of the virus in humans. According to reports from Prime Minister Frederiksen, the “mutant” virus has been identified on five farms and 12 people have been infected with it. We don’t know what kind of mutation it is. In fact, there is no scientific publication on the matter. According to Berlingske, a report from the Danish State Serum Institute would suggest that the virus is sufficiently different from other circulating strains that it could render vaccine development against Covid-19 ineffective. Berlingske also wrote that the 12 infected people “were shown to have a weak antibody reaction.” It is not clear what this means. It could also mean that all 12 individuals are producing antibodies never seen before. This would reinforce the claim that the mutant virus could evade a vaccine. However, the scientific community seems to agree that so far all circulating strains are quite similar and therefore “vulnerable” to the vaccine.
We have known for some time that mink can be infected with the coronavirus. There are reports of human mink infections occurring in Netherlands. And there are reports that at least one infection occurred from mink to human: it is a person who worked on the same farm who had a mild respiratory syndrome. In June, more than 90,000 minks were killed in Aragon, Spain., after the virus was detected on farms. Francois Balloux, professor of genetics at University College London (UCL), wrote on Twitter that the Danish situation is “very problematic”. He reported that his colleague Lucy van Dorp at UCL has already documented numerous mutations that have occurred repeatedly in the mink, none of which are of concern to humans. The scientist considers “stupid” the claim that this mutated strain could be resistant to a vaccine. “These mutations could also emerge in humans once we have a vaccine,” he adds.
According to James Wood of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, the detected mutation is in the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter cells and which induces an antibody response. However, “the true implications of changes in the spike protein have not yet been evaluated by the international scientific community and are therefore unclear. It’s too early to say the change will cause vaccines or immunity to fail“He explains. Virologist Ian Jones from the University of Reading in the UK is not at all surprised that the virus has mutated, as it would have to adapt to mink.
The virus is very likely to be transmitted to other animals. We know that more than 60 species of mammals are definitely or probably susceptible, let’s go gorilla the chimpanzee all foxes, yak, giant pandas me koala. Some whales, dolphins and seals can also be at risk of infection. “Human transmission has occurred to dogs, domestic cats, tigers and lions,” he confirms. Ilaria Capua, virologist and director of the Institute of Emerging Pathogens at the University of Florida, in an article recently published in Italian Veterinary. “Pigs, cats, ferrets and primates have been identified as good candidates for susceptibility to Sars Cov 2. The potential implications – continues – indicate the need for Surveillance, intervention and management strategies of ‘One health’ to mitigate the effects on animal populations and prevent a second failure during this health emergency ”. The stakes are high. “Randomly acquired genetic changes when the virus replicates could lead to the development of the ability to become endemic in some animal populations.” including pets”, Explains Capua. “It is important that harmonized guidelines for surveillance and intervention in wild, captive and companion animals are developed to facilitate a better understanding of viral spread in new host populations. Proposed interventions should include quarantine and ‘care packages’ for infected animals. “
[ad_2]
