Cases of Sars-Cov-2 infection in minks have occurred in several farms in Europe, including Italy, but the virus, which has mutated compared to the one that circulates most widely, is neither more contagious nor more aggressive than the others.
The European Center for Disease Control (Ecdc) writes in a risk assessment document on the subject.
In Italy, the experts write, a case has been reported so far in a farm in Lombardy in August.
The first cases in mink, the experts write, occurred as early as last April, and it immediately emerged that the virus could be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.
From then to November 6, cases have been reported in 6 countries, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the USA.
The risk of sensitive animals, such as mink, becoming a SARS-CoV-2 tank is instead viewed with more concern by the OIE, the World Health Organization, according to which "it could represent a danger to public health. and lead to future human relapse events ", with concerns about the effect on the vaccine.
A vaccine being developed in Denmark against the mink mutated coronavirus strain has however proved "effective" in early animal tests, announced Anders Fomsgaard, chief researcher at the Serum Institute who is working on the drug, according to reports. reported by the Guardian.
Last week, Danish authorities launched a plan to cull all mink in the country, between 15 and 17 million, after a new strain of Covid-19 passed from mink to humans was discovered.
