Denmark to cull up to 17 million mink due to coronavirus mutation

[Redolent]

As many as 17 million minks are to be culled in Denmark after a mutated version of the coronavirus that can spread to humans was detected on mink farms.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the mutated virus posed a "risk to the effectiveness" of a future Covid-19 vaccine.

Denmark is the world's biggest producer of mink fur. Police said the culling should happen as soon as possible.

Coronavirus cases have been detected in mink farms in Denmark's northern Jutland region, and in other parts of Europe, for several months.
But cases are spreading fast in Denmark, and five cases of the new virus strain were found on mink farms. Twelve people had become infected, the authorities said.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54818615

Those poor animals and their fate either way.

Surely a priority should be to stop outbound travel from Denmark until this is under control? 12 confirmed infected who have been quarantined, but there could be many more unconfirmed cases. No point culling all mink if the mutated virus is going to do the rounds around the world.

@DenimDrift

But who actually wears this fur in this day and age anyway?

Apparently a lot of 'faux fur' is actually real, it's cheaper to produce.

@Gooseybby

Maybe it came from mink? Wasnt a centre of the outbreak based around chinese workers in italy, working on 'leather'/the clothing trade? Is italy where these furs end up perhaps?

Leather isn't the same as animal fur and wouldn't carry the same risks (as it is only the treated part of the hide).

Who came up with the plan, Cruella DeVille? no, obviously I'm opposed to fur farms, I think if we wear it, we should eat it too (and make a good stock from the bones). Not sure mink have ever made a decent pie.

Fairly shocked to discover that the fur trade is still legal in the EU. The pictures of them all in tiny cages is really sad.

Spain apparently culled thousands of mink earlier on this year. I read it this morning

They first had it back in May in the Netherlands and in July on Spain. I dont remember reading about it at the time. Poor animals

Good for them. I hope they manage to get all of them because there are always mink escapees living in the wild.

I'm aware of the leathermaking process, but someone has to perform that process, and who are they? Does it take place in italy, by chinese workers? They would handle raw hides. I put leather in inverted comments because we were told at the time the chinese workers dealt with leather, but was that an attempt to be more PC and cover up that this has come from the fur trade? Mentioning leather rather than fur on the news is less likely to have peopke prick up their ears.

I see mink culls have been going on since may. Id love to know what evidence we have that the virus has mutated INto rather than out of mink....

They don't make leather from mink.

Which is why i put it in inverted commas, as my post explains.

elpidioloffredo.com/how-to-recognize-a-quality-mink-fur/

This would suggest that the hides are purchased globally, but tanned in italy....

I'm shocked to hear Europe is farming minks!! Who the hell is buying mink fur?

I’ve been aware of the mink/human risk for a while but it hasn’t been widely reported. It’s concerning that there is evidence of another animal to human transmission source but there’s also the question of how it got into the farms in the first place as it seems that the people involved caught covid from the minks.

There’s speculation that birds can carry covid and seagulls are the source of contamination of mink farms as they scavenge scraps apparently. That’s a bit of an issue to put it lightly.

Still swings and roundabouts, at least you'll be able to buy a cheap fur coat

I can't believe people think mink farming stopped. Selfridges don't sell fur anymore but Harrods do. Lots of choice in Harrods. But you have to go round in circles on their online site to find it, but in the shop its there. Quite a lot of furriers in London, many only advertising to make alterations, but i suspect they import fur.

But then this makes me feel we humans can no longer live beside other species. We have become locust. We can no longer support ourselves without huge devastating consequences to other species and the planet.

Yesterday I felt we should protect human life, today I just feel a bit sad. I wonder, is this strain of virus killing the mink? probably not. The folly of humans

" ...certainly, the decision to put mink down may stand as a general precaution in containing the virus in Denmark. But claims saying that this impacts the majority of vaccines are very alarming & cause a lot of worry, which scientists cannot evaluate without data. "
mobile.twitter.com/firefoxx66/status/1324095151984312324

Ffs we can't just cull wildlife and all domesticated animals we would normally eat.

Aren’t false eyelashes made from mink or am I spreading false rumours?

There is something odd about this.

Are we even certain its the same virus?

@Cornettoninja

Aren’t false eyelashes made from mink or am I spreading false rumours?

I wondered that.

Fucking hell why is this still going on? They should be culled and then the practice of farming animals for fur should immediately stop. Everywhere. But it's never going to happen, humans never learn.

Another one shocked that this was even going on. Who on earth is buying real fur still? Those tiny cages, their faces looking out. Hell on earth. Mind you some farmed animals for meat are not treated much better here.

If the 17 MILLION mink were kept in even semi humane housing they'd take up more space than the 5 million Danes.

@TigerBrite

Leaving aside the issue of fur, which I strongly disagree with - This strain of Covid is less responsive to a vaccine. If it gets out it will basically render all vaccine attempts null and void. It would be a global disaster and Denmark should be closing their borders until it’s eliminated.

Agree with all of that. I'm another one shocked that fur was still being made - especially in what I thought was a progressive country.

As for the borders. Whether or not Denmark closes theirs, there's nothing stopping other countries closing to Denmark. But I won't hold my breath for the UK doing so.

@Cornettoninja

I’ve been aware of the mink/human risk for a while but it hasn’t been widely reported. It’s concerning that there is evidence of another animal to human transmission source but there’s also the question of how it got into the farms in the first place as it seems that the people involved caught covid from the minks.

There’s speculation that birds can carry covid and seagulls are the source of contamination of mink farms as they scavenge scraps apparently. That’s a bit of an issue to put it lightly.

It just gets better and better