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Hundreds of thousands of minks have died since the corona virus invaded mink farms in the Netherlands and Denmark. In some cases, minks are also believed to have infected humans. But no infected Swedish mink has yet been found.
So far, Swedish mink farmers have managed to keep the infection at bay. Stock Photography.
The new coronavirus can be transmitted from humans to animals under certain circumstances. The fact that the infection has spread to more than 40 mink farms in the Netherlands, and also several in Denmark, indicates that minks are particularly susceptible to the virus.
– It’s probably the nurses who got sick and the ones who transmitted the virus to the minks, says Erik Ågren, assistant state veterinarian at the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA).
Some increase in mortality has been observed among infected minks. But most people do without getting seriously ill.
– In Denmark, positive test results have been found without noticeable morbidity among minks. They can have the virus without realizing it, says Ågren.
When raised for fur production, minks are kept in cages close to each other, which is believed to be the reason the infection spreads easily on farms. A report from the Netherlands indicates that minks have transmitted the infection to people who have worked with the animals. Cats housed in mink farms have also been found infected.
– Too many animals kept tight means that there are many viruses. Since minks do not die, they carry the virus for a long time and are at risk of infecting others.
So far, Swedish mink farmers appear to have managed to keep infection at bay. SVA has tested individual minks for the coronavirus.
– We have not had any positive cases yet, says Ågren.
– But if someone who is sick infects minks, we can reach the same situation as in Holland and Denmark.
There they have had to kill hundreds of thousands of minks.
– This is the safest and most rational way to get rid of the virus.
Mink
The mink is a sable that grows 30 to 45 cm long (excluding the tail).
The animal is native to North America, but is now also found in Scandinavia, Great Britain, and locally elsewhere in Europe.
Sweden’s first mink farm was established in 1928. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were more than 1,300 mink farms in Sweden. Now the number of farmers is about 40 but they are much larger.
Source: Nationalencyklopedin
