Many minks in Dutch farms have been culled to prevent covi cluster infections

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

                  / KUCINTA SETIA

Image : Minks. Courtesy of Jens Schlueter / DDP / AFP via Getty Images. 

Mink farms in the Netherlands have been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 (covi, in short), and the minks that transmitted the virus to the farmers have been culled to prevent cluster infections. To date, tens of thousands minks have been culled.

According to a Reuters report, Frederique Hermie, a spokesman for the Dutch Food and Commodity Administration, told the media that up to now there are 10 farms in the Netherlands where confirmed minks with covi have been found, and all farms where confirmed minks have appeared are in the virus clearance list but farms that have not experienced mink infection with covi are not included in the list of culling minks.

The report said that the fight against the infected minks have begun since 3 June 2020. The personnel performing the culling task are all wearing protective clothing, and the corpses of the mink being culled are sent to a special treatment plant for treatment, and the farm is also fully disinfected. Tens of thousands of mink have been killed so far.

It is reported that the Netherlands exports mink skins worth about 90 million euros every year. This large-scale culling of mink caused serious losses to mink farmers, and the Dutch government is studying the corresponding compensation method.

It is understood that as early as the second half of May in the Netherlands, four minks in the farm were found to be infected with the virus. The investigation confirmed that three of the minks were infected by people infected with covi, while the source of the infection in the other mink is unknown.

Shortly thereafter, two cases of mink infected with covi infected the virus to farmers. This phenomenon has attracted great attention from Dutch health research institutions.

Jaap van Dissel, Director of the Netherlands Institute of Hygiene (RIVM), told the media at the time that although cats and other animals were found to be infected with covi from humans in the past, cases of mink infected by the virus were also transmitted to humans. This is the first case, which may have important reference significance for studying the source of covid.

As of 9 June 2020, the Netherlands has a total of 47,739 covid cases, of which 6,016 patients have passed away.