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Denmark to cull up to 17 million mink amid coronavirus fears

  • 05-11-2020 12:54am
    #1
    sheeplover55
    Closed Accounts Posts: 246 ✭✭


    #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.


«134

Comments

  • #2
    Kivaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭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 .....


  • #3
    morebabies
    Registered Users Posts: 539 ✭✭✭morebabies


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


  • #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


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


  • #5
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 77,496 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭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


  • #6
    grayzer75
    Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭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.


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  • #7
    Tenzor07
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,998 ✭✭✭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?


  • #8
    grayzer75
    Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭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.


  • #9
    km991148
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,277 ✭✭✭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?


  • #10
    Tenzor07
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,998 ✭✭✭Tenzor07


    km991148 wrote: »
    And do you think there is a single flu vaccine?

    The Flu? Isn't this forum about Covid19?


  • #11
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


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


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  • #12
    grayzer75
    Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭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


  • #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


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


  • #14
    Away With The Fairies
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭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.


  • #15
    Gael23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,123 ✭✭✭✭Gael23


    Why just mink specifically?


  • #16
    Multipass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,678 ✭✭✭Multipass


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


  • #17
    eleventh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 436 ✭✭eleventh


    Multipass wrote: »
    Good, hopefully that will be the end of that industry.
    17 million mink - how many fur coats?


  • #18
    Ninthlife
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭Ninthlife


    Doesnt bear minking about


  • #19
    mohawk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,785 ✭✭✭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.


  • #20
    Kivaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭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.


  • #21
    caveat emptor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,134 ✭✭✭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


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  • #22
    treade1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 149 ✭✭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.


  • #23
    Thats me
    Registered Users Posts: 639 ✭✭✭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. :(


  • #24
    treade1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 149 ✭✭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.


  • #25
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,198 ✭✭✭✭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.


  • #26
    Seamai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭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.


  • #27
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,198 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    Seamai wrote: »
    I'd be happy with a muff.




    What about a Mink Kok?


  • #28
    Seamai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭Seamai


    Donald Trump wrote: »
    What about a Mink Kok?

    I could hide him in my muff.


  • #29
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,474 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


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


  • #30
    Seamai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭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.


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  • #31
    gw80
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭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 ?


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