Denmark Says Farmed Mink Infected with the Novel Coronavirus: Details and Can Humans and Animals Infect Each Other in Both Directions?
The novel coronavirus that broke out globally this year is highly contagious, spreading from person to person, but there have been no cases of animal transmission. But recently Denmark said the novel coronavirus was found in the bodies of farmed mink! What exactly happened? Can humans and animals infect each other in both directions?
1. Denmark Says the Novel Coronavirus Was Found in the Bodies of Farmed Mink! What Exactly Happened?
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said in a press release on the 17th that after sampling and testing 34 mink at a mink farm last weekend, it found the novel coronavirus in the mink.
The press release said the mink farm is in North Jutland. Because a person associated with the farm had recently been confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus, the Veterinary and Food Administration also took samples from the mink herd for testing. This is the first time the novel coronavirus has been found in farmed mink in Denmark, and mink showing symptoms died.
The press release said that, to prevent potential transmission risks, the administration has disinfected the mink in the same pen and will take samples from mink at other farms in the area for novel coronavirus testing.
In April this year, two mink farms in the Netherlands reported cases of mink infected with the novel coronavirus, and experts believe the mink may have been infected by farm employees who had the virus.
The World Health Organization said some animals may be infected through close contact with humans infected with the novel coronavirus, and there have been cases of animals and pets kept by COVID-19 patients becoming infected, but more evidence is needed to understand whether animals and pets can transmit the novel coronavirus to humans. Based on current evidence, human-to-human transmission remains the main channel of transmission.
At present, the COVID-19 situation in Denmark has leveled off, and since June 15 it has conditionally opened its borders to Germany, Iceland and Norway. On the 17th, Denmark had no new confirmed cases, and it currently has a cumulative total of 12,294 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 598 died.
2. Can Humans and Animals Infect Each Other in Both Directions?
On June 12, a latest study in the United States showed that the novel coronavirus may well have “mutated” and become more likely to infect human cells. The mutation named “D615G” can make the virus's spike protein more numerous and more stable, making it easier to enter human cells. American infectious disease expert Fauci once said that the process of viral gene mutation is consistent with the process of transmission from animals to humans. Previously, a worker in the Netherlands was infected with the novel coronavirus from mink, possibly the world's first case of an animal infecting a human.
Appendix: Brief Introduction to Danish Mink
Danish mink is a general term for mink species produced in and associated with Denmark. Generally, it refers to pet mink such as the American mink and the fur-producing mink* that grows on the ice sheet of the Gulf of Bothnia. An adult Danish mink weighs about 1.5 kg, with slight differences between males and females. Its body is elegant and slender, generally 30 cm to 50 cm in length. Danish fur animals are mainly mink, and this is Denmark's fourth-largest agricultural export category after pork, dairy products and grass seeds.
In addition, although animals in a few areas around the world are currently infected with the novel coronavirus, there is still no evidence that animals play an important role in the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Moreover, based on some existing information, the risk of animals transmitting the virus to humans is very low. So friends who keep pets at home do not need to worry too much; pay attention to good protection and disinfect properly before coming into contact with pets after returning home, and the problem is still not serious.