ECDC to assess risk associated with spread of SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms

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ECDC to assess risk associated with spread of SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms

16 November 2020
News
ECDC will assess the human implications of an extensive spread of SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms in Denmark, where by 3 November 197 farms had been affected in the country. Denmark is currently implementing strong control measures, including culling, restrictions of movement of people living in nearby areas and enhanced testing among the general population.
When the virus is introduced into a mink farm, it can spread quickly, leading to many cases among mink. Due to the large number of infections and possibly due to biological differences between mink and humans, the virus can accumulate mutations. Such variants have the possibility to spread back into the human population.