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The world’s largest mink producer, Denmark, says it plans to euthanize more than 15 million animals, due to fears that a Covid-19 mutation that moves from mink to humans could jeopardize future vaccines.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said 12 people are already infected with the mutated virus and that mink is now considered a public health risk.
“The mutated virus in mink may pose a risk to the efficacy of a future vaccine,” said Frederiksen.
He said that the army, the police and the national emergency service will mobilize to help the farms with the slaughter of mink, which will eradicate the entire Danish herd.
Authorities and breeders have already been euthanizing the animals for the past few weeks in an attempt to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Reuters reported that Denmark’s health minister said that about half of the 783 infected people in northern Denmark, home to a large number of mink farmers, had infections derived from farms.
Denmark is the world’s largest producer of mink fur and has between 15 and 17 million animals on some 1,100 farms. The latest figures from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration reportedly say that Covid-19 infections have been found in more than 200 mink farms. The figures were confirmed by a Danish police press officer.
Finnish fur auctioneer Magnus Ljung, CEO of Saga Furs, was watching the Danish ad. “It is a shock. They will kill all the minks in Denmark. They are talking about the risk of Covid-19 mutating in mink, passing from mink to humans, and potentially affecting a future human vaccine. “
Ljung estimated the value of Denmark’s 2020 mink population to be between € 350 million and € 400 million (£ 270 million to £ 360 million).
“They are in control of [Covid-19 mink infections] in Holland and some cases in Spain and Sweden. But everything was under control. [The Danish cull] it’s unexpected, for sure. Yes, it could happen in other countries. But I don’t want to speculate, ”Ljung said.
“What we really have to do is completely end mink farming and retrain farmers,” said Birgitte Damm, policy advisor and veterinarian at the NGO Animal Protection Denmark.
Speaking from Amsterdam, Dr Joanna Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Humane Society International / Europe, said: “Denmark is one of the largest fur producers on the planet, so the total closure of all Danish fur farms of mink amid the growing Covid-19 infection is a significant development.
“Although it is not a fur farming ban, this measure signals an end to the suffering of millions of animals confined in small wire cages on Danish fur farms solely for the purpose of a trivial fur fad that no one needs. We congratulate the Danish Prime Minister on her decision to take such an essential and scientific step to protect Danish citizens from the deadly coronavirus. “
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