Stop the Wildlife Trade: Worker contracted coronavirus from mink at breeding farm, say Dutch authorities
Agriculture minister admits that earlier statements saying people could infect animals but not the other way around, were wrong
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Your support makes all the difference.A worker on a Dutch farm where mink are bred for their fur has caught coronavirus from the animals, according to authorities.
Last month, two fur farms in the Netherlands were put under quarantine after mink there tested positive for Covid-19.
The ferret-like animals were tested after having trouble breathing and a wider investigation was conducted. It was initially believed that the animals had been infected by employees who had the virus.
In a letter to parliament, Dutch agriculture minister Carola Schouten acknowledged that earlier advisories from her office saying people could infect animals, but not the other way around, were wrong, Reuters reported.
Ms Schouten added that the Netherlands’ Institute for Public Health still believes the chance of transmission outside of the animals’ stalls is minimal.
The letter did not provide details on the worker’s condition.
"It also appears from this research that minks can have Covid-19 without displaying symptoms," the Dutch government said in a statement on Tuesday.
The government statement said that cats may have played a role in the spread of the virus between different farms, CNN reported, after three out of 11 cats tested for Covid-19 at one mink farm were positive.
Mandatory antibody testing of minks is now to be expanded to all farms in the Netherlands.
Mink fur is sold in China, Korea, Greece and Turkey. While the creation of new mink farms in the Netherlands was banned in 2013, existing fur farms have until 2024 to close.
Campaigners have renewed calls to end the fur trade after the news. Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, global head of wildlife research at World Animal Protection, said: “The latest Covid-19 mink case is yet another example of the risks of close interaction between wild animals and people.
“The cruel fur trade is no exception. If Covid-19 has been passed between humans and minks, it shows just how dangerous fur farms can be.
"They not only potentially facilitate the emergence of infectious diseases but also play a role in spreading it further. The animal suffering involved makes matters worse, as cramped and stressful conditions weakens the animals’ immune systems, creating a perfect storm for diseases to thrive.”
The Independent is calling for an end to the high-risk sale and trafficking of wildlife with our campaign, Stop The Wildlife Trade
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