Mink variant of coronavirus spreads to humans in Denmark; full cull planned

Enlarge / A mink is photographed in a farm in Hjoerring, in North Jutland, Denmark, on October 8, 2020. (credit: Getty | MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN)

A genetic variant of the pandemic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, found in mink has spread from the animals to at least 12 people in Denmark, the prime minister said at a press conference Wednesday. The government is now planning to cull all the mink on Danish farms, which are estimated to have between 15 and 17 million of the animals.

It is very, very serious," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, according to the Associated Press.

It's so far unclear how the genetic variation found in infected mink could actually affect humans. Researchers who track genetic variations in SARS-CoV-2 have not yet seen data on the mink strain and cautioned people not to be overly concerned.

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