Lithuanian authorities announced Thursday, November 26, that they had detected the presence of the new coronavirus in mink from a farm in the center of the country.
A person working in this farm has also tested positive for the coronavirus, said the veterinary agency of this Baltic country.
Read also: Covid-19: are the mutations observed in mink dangerous for humans?
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The results show that a farm worker could have transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to mink,
" said agency chief Darius Remeika in a statement.
Dozens of mink will be killed but no mass slaughter is planned for the moment, according to the veterinary services.
Lithuania has 86 breeding farms with a total of some 1.6 million mink.
She began performing tests on those farms this month after cases of the coronavirus were reported in farms on the mainland.
Denmark has slaughtered two thirds of its herd of 15 to 17 million mink, Ireland is also preparing to carry out a mass slaughter.
This small mammal bred for its fur is the only animal known to date that can prove to be infected with the new coronavirus and recontaminate humans.
Scientists have warned of the risk of a mutation of the virus in these animals that could potentially affect the effectiveness of future vaccines against Covid-19.
