COPENHAGEN – Denmark will cull around 1 million mink after finding further coronavirus infections among the animals at farms that breed them for their fur, authorities said.
The Nordic country is the world’s largest producer of mink and had previously culled animals on farms hit by infections, but outbreaks have persisted.
Fresh cases have been registered at 41 mink farms and another 20 were believed affected, totalling up to 1 million minks, Environment and Food Minister Mogens Jensen said at a press briefing on Thursday evening.
The Netherlands reported a similar outbreak and undertook a cull after two people were reported to have been infected by mink, though such cases of animal-to-human transmission are believed to be extremely rare.
There have also been occasional cases of zoo animals and house pets coming down with the coronavirus during the global pandemic, with their owners the likely cause of infection. (Reuters)
