Denmark to cull up to 17 million mink amid coronavirus fears

sheeplover55

#minklivesmatter

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54818615

As many as 17 million minks are to be culled in Denmark after a mutated version of the coronavirus that can spread to humans was detected on mink farms.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the mutated virus posed a "risk to the effectiveness" of a future Covid-19 vaccine.

Denmark is the world's biggest producer of mink fur.

Police said the culling should happen as soon as possible.

Coronavirus cases have been detected in mink farms in Denmark's northern Jutland region, and in other parts of Europe, for several months.

But cases are spreading fast in Denmark, and five cases of the new virus strain were found on mink farms. Twelve people had become infected, the authorities said.

Prime Minister Frederiksen described the situation as "very, very serious".

She cited a government report which said the mutated virus had been found to weaken the body's ability to form antibodies, potentially making the current vaccines under development for Covid-19 ineffective.

Kivaro

sheeplover55 wrote: »

She cited a government report which said the mutated virus had been found to weaken the body's ability to form antibodies, potentially making the current vaccines under development for Covid-19 ineffective.

Jaysus, I'm going back to bed .....

morebabies

Are there any more details as to what they mean by making less antibodies, has it caused a spike in death rates?

It is a scary development and would have you wondering what other animals could develop such mutations.

Beasty

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It is a scary development and would have you wondering what other animals could develop such mutations.

I guess though that it's just as likely humans could harbour mutations. That seems to be the "beast" we are having to cope with

grayzer75

The latest surge in Europe seems to be linked to a mutation originating in Spain:

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2020-10-31/Spread-of-COVID-19-strain-traced-from-Spain-across-Europe-V2yNOAevsI/index.html

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200928/Mapping-the-evolutionary-profile-of-SARS-CoV-2-and-COVID-19-using-mutation-order-approach.aspx

The more this mutates the harder it will be to develop a vaccine to cover all strains.

Tenzor07

grayzer75 wrote: »

The latest surge in Europe seems to be linked to a mutation originating in Spain:
The more this mutates the harder it will be to develop a vaccine to cover all strains.

What? Are you telling me that Viruses mutate over time and produce different strains, are you sure that's ever happened before with things like say the Flu?

grayzer75

Tenzor07 wrote: »

What? Are you telling me that Viruses mutate over time and produce different strains, are you sure that's ever happened before with things like say the Flu?

I was replying to a post above with a recent example, don't be so condescending.

km991148

Tenzor07 wrote: »

What? Are you telling me that Viruses mutate over time and produce different strains, are you sure that's ever happened before with things like say the Flu?

And do you think there is a single flu vaccine?

Tenzor07

km991148 wrote: »

And do you think there is a single flu vaccine?

The Flu? Isn't this forum about Covid19?

Is there any clarity if any human cases carrying this mutation have been found outside Denmark?

grayzer75

Deleted User wrote: »

Is there any clarity if any human cases carrying this mutation have been found outside Denmark?

Seems to be 12 confirmed cases from these farms so far:

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-millions-of-mink-to-be-culled-after-passing-covid-mutation-to-humans-12124215

Bloody Chinese and their weird animal husbandry practices putting human lives at risk. Why cant the be more like us Europeans

Away With The Fairies

I was worried about animal to human transmission at the start of this whole mess because it would be hard to control. It's already hard to control human to human transmission but throw in animals into the mix, it will just get harder. Now we have minks transmitting to humans.

Gael23

Why just mink specifically?

Multipass

Good, hopefully that will be the end of that industry.

eleventh

Multipass wrote: »

Good, hopefully that will be the end of that industry.

17 million mink - how many fur coats?

Ninthlife

Doesnt bear minking about

mohawk

Gael23 wrote: »

Why just mink specifically?

I was wondering the same thing. Two potential causes given by a Jasmine Reed of the CDC are the high density animals are kept in and low genetic variation in farmed mink.

Kivaro

Beasty wrote: »

I guess though that it's just as likely humans could harbour mutations. That seems to be the "beast" we are having to cope with

I believe that there are other human Covid19 mutations out there e.g. the Spanish strain. One would have to ask what other strains are evolving at the moment.

Have a lot of interest in DNA and replication, so this Danish story is somewhat concerning; especially with the news that the mutated virus had been found to weaken the body's ability to form antibodies. The Danes caught this virus strain and now the authorities there are asking residents in North Jutland not to leave their home municipalities due to concerns over the spread of this mutated form. It is a strong possibility that countries with less resources than Denmark may have other other strains too.

So this is a concerning evolution of the virus, but that's what it does ..... evolve. Hopefully our scientists will be up that challenge, as they focus on solutions.

caveat emptor

mohawk wrote: »

I was wondering the same thing. Two potential causes given by a Jasmine Reed of the CDC are the high density animals are kept in and low genetic variation in farmed mink.

Yeah I've read that they use ferret's for a lot of viral research. They are both part of the Mustelidae family along with badgers (TB anyone?).

Mutations in this population probably have more consequence for humans.

The Dutch virologist, based at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, caused a firestorm of controversy about a decade ago, when he and Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced that they had successfully mutated H5N1, a strain of bird flu, to pass through the air between ferrets, in two separate experiments. Ferrets are considered the best flu models because their respiratory systems react to the flu much like humans.

https://www.freethink.com/articles/gain-of-function-mutation

treade1

Prof Carl Heneghan told the Dail Covid Committee in August that Covid-19 could not be eradicated. The virus can cross the species barrier. Pursuing a zero-covid approach will result in the virus hiding in cats, dogs etc and will simply jump back into human when the opportunity arises. What has happened in Denmark with mink vindicates his position. Coronavirus is something we are just going to have to live with. Thankfully the Infection Fatality Rate in those under 70 is <0.05% which makes it less deadly than the flu for that cohort of the population. Sooner or later the powers that be are going to have to accept the virus is here to stay. Even with a vaccine there will still be cases and deaths every year predominately in the over 70s. This essentially has always been the case with the flu.

New Zealand think they have managed to eradicate it but it will be interesting to see what happens over their next March as they head back into winter. Given the draconian lockdown measures and the enforced quarantine I suspect that many healthy people with mild flu like symptoms are not presenting themselves for testing.

Thats me

treade1 wrote: »

Thankfully the Infection Fatality Rate in those under 70 is <0.05% which makes it less deadly than the flu for that cohort of the population.

If you think the death is the only issue which can be caused to human in result of covid then you probably need read more about its subsequences.

treade1

Thats me wrote: »

If you think the death is the only issue which can be caused to human in result of covid then you probably need read more about its subsequences.

Yes and the exact same is true for the flu and other viral infections. A small % of people are left with serious complications and others are wheezy or fatigued for 2-3 months following infection. This is not unique to Covid-19. For example glandular fever can take 12 months to fully recover from.

My point is that this virus is going no where even with a vaccine. Unfortunately it is just another disease which can end our lives. The current response is not sustainable in the long term.

Donald Trump

Might be able to pick up a good deal on new coat in time for the winter!




Especially given I might be back up to NY come the New Year. No more taxpayer funded heating systems.

Seamai

Donald Trump wrote: »

Might be able to pick up a good deal on new coat in time for the winter!

I'd be happy with a muff.

Donald Trump

Seamai wrote: »

I'd be happy with a muff.

What about a Mink Kok?

Seamai

Donald Trump wrote: »

What about a Mink Kok?

I could hide him in my muff.

Thelonious Monk

Shocking that this still goes on in progressive countries in Europe. Hopefully this is the death knell for the industry in Denmark.

Seamai

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Shocking that this still goes on in progressive countries in Europe. Hopefully this is the death knell for the industry in Denmark.

If this was an eastern European country I'd be less shocked but I would have though mink farming would be a thing of the past in Denmark but then then looking at their pork and bacon industry it shouldn't be that surprising.

gw80

Seamai wrote: »

If this was an eastern European country I'd be less shocked but I would have though mink farming would be a thing of the past in Denmark but then then looking at their pork and bacon industry it shouldn't be that surprising.

Isn't Denmark the place where they slaughter all those whales every year ?

Thelonious Monk

gw80 wrote: »

Isn't Denmark the place where they slaughter all those whales every year ?

Thought that was the Faros

GT89

Away With The Fairies wrote: »

I was worried about animal to human transmission at the start of this whole mess because it would be hard to control. It's already hard to control human to human transmission but throw in animals into the mix, it will just get harder. Now we have minks transmitting to humans.

Just get masks for the minks problem solved

machiavellianme

gw80 wrote: »

Isn't Denmark the place where they slaughter all those whales every year ?

Doubtful, there's very shallow waters around Danmark

Polar101

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Thought that was the Faros

That's correct, it's a Faroe Islands tradition.

They're an autonomous territory under Denmark.

_Brian

I think one take away lesson in this is how easily these coronavirus move from human-animal-human and return differently and often worse.

These animals would be farmed under clean organised conditions, yet this seems to have happened easily.

Easy to see in China how farmers catching wild animals and breeding at home in less than optimal conditions can introduce such a serious infectious virus into the human population.

Akabusi

They need to put the mink in classrooms, problem solved then.

Thats me

_Brian wrote: »

Easy to see in China how farmers catching wild animals and breeding at home in less than optimal conditions can introduce such a serious infectious virus into the human population.

So why Irish human population is affected more than Chinese? Do you mean Irish doing this more often?

_Brian

Thats me wrote: »

So why Irish human population is affected more than Chinese? Do you mean Irish doing this more often?

We’re not.
The Chinese are living under massively restricted controls. Use of their tracking app is compulsory and people are quickly removed from the general population to stop spread. Here there’s loads of recommendations and requests to isolate, that loose approach is allowing much more transmission than among a highly controlled population who have zero choice but dimwit they are told.

Harry Palmr

UK bound flights from Denmark ended other than for UK citizens retuning.

It’s been found in 6 countries now. Scary stuff. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8923787/WHO-says-mutant-mink-coronavirus-outbreak-Denmark-concern.html

99nsr125

Beasty wrote: »

I guess though that it's just as likely humans could harbour mutations. That seems to be the "beast" we are having to cope with

Shure why don't we just cull people to stop mutations then, ridiculous.

Chris_5339762

Deleted User wrote: »

It’s been found in 6 countries now. Scary stuff. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8923787/WHO-says-mutant-mink-coronavirus-outbreak-Denmark-concern.html

No, thats terrible journalism. I've just been in the Mink thread.


Six mutations have been seen on mink farms.


Only ONE of those mutations is the one they are a bit worried about, but not terribly worried about.

Akabusi

Akabusi wrote: »

They need to put the mink in classrooms, problem solved then.

or feed each of them €9 worth of food

wadacrack

https://twitter.com/dgurdasani1/status/1325068558397739009

Thierry12

wadacrack wrote: »

https://twitter.com/dgurdasani1/status/1325068558397739009

All that talking and she told us nothing of note

A one liner could have done

Rubberchikken

As usual, focus on innocent animals instead of dealing with the ruddy chinese.

statesaver

Harry Palmr wrote: »

UK bound flights from Denmark ended other than for UK citizens retuning.

Has Ireland done likewise ?

Seamai

statesaver wrote: »

Has Ireland done likewise ?

I read a headline in the Irish Examiner in the last half an hour saying Ireland was following suit.

Donald Trump

Polar101 wrote: »

That's correct, it's a Faroe Islands tradition.

They're an autonomous territory under Denmark.

I blame Brian Kerr

Thats me

Rubberchikken wrote: »

As usual, focus on innocent animals instead of dealing with the ruddy chinese.

[conspiracy] Given the virus appeared at the peak of pressure on Chinese, i'd doubt they are source of this.