Millions of mink must die: what is happening in Denmark?

In Denmark, the coronavirus mutated and spread to several people. The mutant originated in minks. Therefore, all 17 million breeding animals in the country must be killed. What is the danger to people?

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In Corona-Pandemics it goes Denmark play it safe and take a drastic step. After that Nerze a Sick of COVID-19 and the virus in animals has been genetically engineered, all 15-17 million animals in the country must be killed.

The background is that the mink variants of SARS-CoV-2 they are less sensitive to the antibodies that people develop from COVID infection, the company said. “Statens Serum Institut“(SSI), the Danish Infection Protection Authority. Consequently, the Mutation cause a future vaccine it does not protect against infections from the mink variant of SARS-CoV-2.

The mass killing of the mink aims to eliminate the source of the virus variant

The Danish government would like to work with the Mass killings of animals Eliminate the source of the new variant of the virus in commercial farms, says a biologist Elke Reinking by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health.

The pathogen should be prevented from spreading on Mink farms it spreads and jumps to other people. 214 people have already been to Denmark infected by the mutantannounced the SSI.

94 percent of the infections were in the region Nordjütland tried. Where most of the positive COVID-19 results in mink were discovered.

Now in North Jutland a Confinement: In seven municipalities the public Local traffic disruption. Additionally, 280,000 people will stay at home and fifth to eighth graders will receive digital lessons.

Important data on the new pathogen are still missing

SSI does not clearly assess the danger posed by the new variant of the virus. It shouldn’t be more dangerous or contagious than other viruses, but it should be Work experiment proved that the mutant is less than antibody it is inhibited by people who have already been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

This means that a future vaccine may also be less effective. According to SSI it would be very riskycontinue mink farming, as the pathogen could spread further and infect many people and animals.

As a result, the virus may also keep mutating, which is why searching for a Make the vaccine more difficult and weaken an immunity already obtained. However, it’s still unclear how to assess these risks, Reinking says.

Important data is still missing for a final evaluation, so further studies are currently underway.

The Corona mutant could cause disease despite vaccination

The mutation of the virus they are not uncommon. Small changes in the genetic material they occur naturallybecause the virus constantly copies itself as it spreads.

For Mutations It also happens when the pathogen jumps from one species to another, for example from humans to mink and vice versa. To adapt to the new species, the virus changes its genetic information.

In Denmark so far five different varieties of mink found and between them there are seven different mutations. With them, the surface of the virus changed, more precisely the so-called Spike-Protein – also called sting.

Using this Constitutive block of proteins the pathogen enters a cell. Researchers looking for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine focus on preventing the spike protein from entering.

A new form of the spike protein could bypass the protective effect. In order to prevent infection with mink variants, the vaccine may need to be adapted to the modified virus structure, as is the case every year with Flu vaccine it happens, says Reinking.

Denmark is the global one the largest exporter of mink fur. There are over a thousand farms where millions of animals live. Due to the large number, professional companies are used that they rely on Outbreaks of animal diseases they are specialized.

Expert info: Elke Reinking is a qualified biologist and head of the press office of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute.

Read also: The escape attempt of submarine assassin Peter Madsen has been thwarted

Sources used:

• Interview with Elke Reinking of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute
• Statens Serums Institut: “Mutations in the mink virus”
• Tagesschau: “Denmark isolates communities. Concerns about mutated coronavirus.”
• ZDF: Denmark: “Outbreak in a mink farm Denmark: concerns about mutated corona virus”