COVID-19 Risk Via Minks? Holland Bans Transportation of Minks After Suspicion Over Animal-To-Human Transmission of Coronavirus

The transportation of minks has been banned by the Holland government over the suspicion of what may be the "first known cases of animal-to-human transmission", according to WHO. This comes after the first infection of mink farm workers in South of the Netherlands that was caught last week. There has been a nationwide ban applied on the transportation of monks fearing the transmission of coronavirus. While it is being said by the authorities that the risk of contamination may be 'negligible' outside four Dutch farms, however, nothing official has been announced as yet confirming the transmission of coronavirus. In places outside the farms in the Netherlands where infected mink have been reported, there have been no cases of coronavirus transmitted to humans. Coronavirus in Animals: Minks Test Positive for COVID-19 at Two Dutch Farms After Tiger Nadia from Bronx Zoo and Hong Kong's Pet Cat & Dog. 

The testing of all mink farms was made mandatory by the Dutch government for COVID-19 after coronavirus was found these animals that are often bred for their fur. However, the World Health Organization had said on Tuesday that the infections in the south of the Netherlands could be the "first known cases of animal-to-human transmission". The government has said that "until the results of this screening are known," the transport of mink and mink manure will be banned. This step has been taken to curb the spread of coronavirus according to Public Health Minister Hugo de Jonge and Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten.

Last week the initial case of mink farm worker being infected by COVID-19 via minks was reported. It was suspected that minks may have transmitted the virus to them. In the farms near the southern city of Eindhoven, where the disease was discovered in April among mink these infected farmers belonged to and therefore the fear has increased. A Dutch mink farmworker likely caught coronavirus from the animals kept there, in the country's first reported case of animal-to-human transmission, the agriculture minister said.

Researchers compared the genetic code of the virus found in the mink to that of the patient, creating a "family tree" to map its mutation, minister Carola Schouten said late Tuesday. Breeding minks for their fur has been a controversial issue and the Netherlands has been dealing with it from a very long time. However, its highest court in 2016 ordered that all mink breeding must cease by 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2020 09:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).