Mink mutation

[Lilybet1980]

Anyone know how worried we should be about the mink outbreaks in Denmark?

This is more reassuring for anyone struggling

www.statnews.com/2020/11/05/spread-of-mutated-coronavirus-in-danish-mink-hits-all-the-scary-buttons-but-fears-may-be-overblown/

blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/11/05/dont-make-mine-mink

Factory fur farming should be banned.

@Gruffaloandmouse

Great...I’m really wishing I hadn’t read this now.

Try not to worry too much. Every article I’ve read so far (apart from the one posted just now!) has said we do not have enough data to accurately predict how or if this will affect us. Denmark haven’t yet released the sequencing to show the mutation. Considering Denmark have been aware of minks having Coronavirus since July it’s not like it has had a huge impact over the last few months. They’re taking the right steps by culling (sad for the mink but they would’ve died anyway :(). We do not farm mink in the UK and the chances of us coming into contact with wild mink enough to exchange virus is very low. I’m aware that it has the potential to be exchanged between other animal species but that hasn’t happened yet and we have no evidence that it is imminently about to do so.

Just asking, but does this mean that the Coronavirus didnt just start in Chinese meat markets and there is a link to animal farms generally?

Its always been known that most pandemics come from our relationship with animals

Ebola was one example

BSE another

Its not just China to blame

We need to stop funding these animal industries, not just because it's killing us but because their suffering needs to stop.

Google civet and compare with a picture of a mink
When they were going about the point of origin of the virus (which I think has not been clarified yet), they were talking about bats, and that usually there is another intermediate species in between. They mentioned civets and pangolins.

This is about SARS www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2003/may/24/china.sars

Not the same virus, but similar

Hope something good comes out of this pandemic and humans start respecting animals again.

There are 3 mink farms left in The Republic of Ireland. I think they are closing them in a phased timeline following the EU rule to stop this type of farming.

@Defenbaker

It is worrying, but from what I've seen of the conditions those poor animals are kept in, maybe they're better off dead. They seem to be kept in rows of very small cages, like battery hens used to be, just awful. This is another situation where humans are abusing animals and keeping them in horribly cramped conditions, then nature gets out of kilter and humans suffer.

I hope all the mink farms are shut down, it's shocking that this stuff is going on in mainland Europe, I don't think this would be allowed in the UK.

^^ so sad, poor creatures. I really hope this ends the fur industry.

The more I learn about the way animals are treated all over the world the more ashamed I am to be human.

Most of the farm workers in Denmark were Eastern European, and they are refusing to shut down their borders so the idea that it can be contained is rather too late. I am stunned this isn't being taken more seriously given our experience with the original covid outbreak. Even if turns out to be a small mutation that will be guarded against by vaccines why even take that risk? And the idea that people coming to the UK from Denmark will just voluntarily isolate for two weeks is pointless, compliance will be low. Until scientists have chance to figure this out we should be doing enforced quarantine at the border but to be honest that's just holding back the very big tide anyway.

The video on the DM of the mink cull has made me sick to my stomach all day. I wish I hadn't watched it. I'm actually quite afraid of ferrets and mink (and now civets, hadn't heard of them before! ) and I still think it's just one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen .

Sorry if this has already been posted. This is Dr John Campbell's take on it.

I actually find them strikingly beautiful and so cute!
I am really sad about them

I’m in Denmark. The authorities seems very, very worried. I wish they would put stronger measures in place and close the boarders. I can’t understand the reluctance to do so, even for a few weeks to get a better picture of what’s going on.

So if this was the worst case scenario and we end up back at the beginning again with a new pandemic, then what? We can’t lock down the country/world for another year surely?! The economic costs with be horrific. This is a real concern going forward.
I very much hope they have got it under control.

The poor mink! I know they were gonna get killed anyway. But it just feels so sad and pointless. I'm a vegetarian but understand people want to eat meat. And transferring to a meat free diet isn't simple for the whole world. But for fur we have plenty of decent alternatives. Why are we still farming for fur? Humanity really does want to kill itself!

I think they should go with 14 days plus a bit extra just in case, so maybe around 21 days of full closed borders. No land, no air travel in or out of Denmark.
It is not that bad really for just 2-3 weeks.
And it will give them time to think about it.

I think if the virus works out how to mutate to jump between species the economy will be the least of our problems.

@Chickenandrice and that is my greatest fear! That this shit is just going to back and forth and back and forth.
It did jump to humans not so long ago and look how well it is doing. With more species involved.......

As the farm workers were allowed to travel home there is no way it's contained. Its already out there in mainland Europe and possibly beyond. Airports are just super highways for disease spread. The only hope we have if is the mutation will respond to the vaccines and I don't think scientists have decided on this one yet, or have I missed it?

I think if the virus works out how to mutate to jump between species the economy will be the least of our problems.

Its already done that. That isn't new nor unexpected nor even necessarily catastrophic. Look at Francis Balloux's tweets on the subject.

Viruses generally mutate to be less virulent, not more.