As previously reported, in Denmark there is now a huge problem with a mutated virus that minks on farms have begun to carry, because of which they will have to be killed in order to eliminate the focus and the possibility of spreading the infection. Today, WHO and the government are working together on this problem, as it is urgent to contain the spread of a new genomic chain of a coronavirus variety.
There have been 214 cases of mink infection in Denmark since June of this year, when 12 patients were found to have a particular strain with mutations that needs to be carefully investigated. The new version of the virus was called "Cluster 5". The characteristics of the new strain are similar to other circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses, but it does not show the changes that have previously been observed with other strains of the virus.
WHO cannot yet comment on this situation, since this issue needs to be studied in detail, but it is already clear that the new virus reduces susceptibility to antibodies, but more accurate information will appear only after laboratory tests. So far, the Danish authorities are doing everything to contain the spread of the virus variety, for which the first thing will have to destroy more than 17 million minks, as they tend to infect each other, as well as humans, which can cause the virus to spread on a more global scale. In addition, the authorities of Sweden, the USA, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands also announced the presence of problems with mink infection.
