Novel Coronavirus Out of Control at Latvia Mink Farm: Repeated Cross-Infection Between Humans and Animals

  1. Novel Coronavirus uncontrollably mutated in Latvia at a fur farm near the town of Bauska, where 100,000 minks are kept. According to the results of the study, the virus has been repeatedly transmitted between humans and animals.

The virus first entered German mink fur farms in the Baltic Sea in early spring 2021, Sputnik reported, citing the delfi.lv portal. Throughout the spring and summer, minks and farm workers were infected with the mutant “Delta” Novel Coronavirus strain that now dominates the world.

File photo: Wild mink. Liu is taken

“Virus samples from animals and humans were so genetically similar that the scientists concluded that the fur farm viruses had repeatedly overcome the interspecies barrier,” the report said. That means the virus passed from person to mink and back from mink to person.”

Monta Breviba, a researcher at Latvia’s Biomedical Research Centre, points out that some mutations have not yet been described, while others are considered dangerous. “But at least four have previously been described in the scientific literature as potentially dangerous, increasing susceptibility to the virus or affecting the neutralization of antibodies,” Delfi.lv quoted her as saying. So there are concerns that such mutations could also reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.”

There are now about 100,000 minks on the farm, and they continue to be asymptomatic with no increase in mortality. The last farm worker was recorded two and a half months ago.

Latvia is discussing the possibility of culling mink. If Latvia decides to close the farm, the compensation will be in the millions of euros.

File photo: CarniVa-COV, an animal vaccine, is introduced in Russia. Previous tests have shown that the vaccine can produce Novel coronavirus antibodies in animals such as minks and cats and dogs.

COVID-19 infections have been repeatedly found in mink farms. Earlier, the Danish government said it was necessary to cull all minks in the kingdom — 15m-17m on all farms — because they “are carriers of dangerous novel coronavirus variants”.

Europe’s largest fur industry was destroyed.

In December 2020, the Danish government passed a decree banning the breeding and operation of mink in the country until December 31, 2021 due to the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus variant.

Novel Coronavirus detection in minks has also been announced in a number of other European countries.

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