EU agency: Coronavirus spread in minks could speed mutations

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has issued new guidance to curb spre of coronavirus between minks and humans, warning that transmission of COVID-19 among animals could speed up number of mutations in virus before it potentially jumps back to people.

In a statement on Thursday, ECDC said that when COVID-19 starts spreing on a mink farm, large numbers of animal infections means “ virus can accumulate mutations more quickly in minks and spre back into human population.”

Earlier this month, Denmark reported that 12 people were sickened by a variant of coronavirus that h distinct genetic changes also seen in mink. country began culling millions of minks in rth after reports of COVID-19 infection, and plans to cull all 15 million of animals in Danish farms . Nationally, at least 216 of 1,139 fur farms in Denmark have been infected with coronavirus.

coronavirus evolves constantly as it replicates but, to date, ne of identified mutations have changed anything about COVID-19’s transmissibility or lethality.

But ECDC said allowing coronavirus to spre within minks could have worrisome consequences, explaining that “ establishment of a virus reservoir among minks may give rise to problematic virus variants in future.”

“re is currently high uncertainty and furr investigations are required regarding nature of se mutations and ir implications for issues such as vaccine effectiveness, reinfections and spre or severity of virus,” ECDC said.

ncy recommended countries opt protective measures at mink farms, including testing people working at farms and sequencing virus if y test positive for COVID-19. It also said animals should be tested and extra measures taken to prevent spre of virus from minks to humans.

Last week, WHO’s emergencies chief Dr. Michael Ryan said U.N. health ncy was “a long, long way from making any determination” about wher any of mutated COVID-19 strains in minks might threaten people.

Dr. David Heymann, a distinguished fellow in global health at think tank Chatham House and former WHO assistant director-general, said it would be unlikely for a mutated strain of coronavirus from minks in Denmark to change course of pandemic.

“This virus is in every country and it’s mutating differently in every country,” he said. “In order for this virus from minks to be able to replace virus in or countries and impact on vaccines, it would have to be more fit than or viruses that are around w and spre easier, more rapidly and replace those viruses in or countries.”