Denmark will slaughter all of the fifteen million mink raised on its territory because of a mutation of Covid-19 already transmitted to 12 people.
According to the Danish government, it threatens the effectiveness of a future vaccine for humans.
"The virus mutated via mink can create the risk that the future vaccine will not work as it should […] It is necessary to slaughter all the mink", or 15 to 17 million animals according to the authorities, said the Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a press conference.
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According to Mette Frederiksen, viruses have been found in people infected with mink, which have mutated so much that they no longer form antibodies, and thus the intended vaccine is weakened or inoperative.
728 deaths in Denmark
According to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, all 270 Danish mink farms have been infected, while 67 mink farms have had their herds killed and 23 other mink farms are suspected of being infected.
The world's leading exporter of mink skins for the fur market, the Scandinavian kingdom has been facing cases of coronavirus since June in many farms, mainly in the north of the Jutland region, the mainland of Denmark in the west from the country.
Good student in the management of the pandemic with only 728 deaths so far, Denmark is facing a sharp rise in the number of cases and has again toughened its measures since the end of October.