THE “MINK CORONAVIRUS” MAY COME BACK IN THE FUTURE, WARNS AN EXPERT
Experts are alarmed at the risk of transmission of a dangerous strain of the mink virus to the human population [Henning Bagger / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP].
The never-ending story? A new strain of coronavirus could potentially spread to other animal species and thus risk contaminating the human population in a few years.
This is the warning, issued by the director of the British medical charity Wellcome Trust Jeremy Farrar, and relayed by the BBC. According to him, the transmission to humans could involve the contamination of rats, spaniels or ferrets.
The leader reacted at a time when many specialists are alarmed and are trying to warn of the risk of transmission of a dangerous strain of the mink virus to the human population.
MORE THAN 200 MINK INFECTIONS IN DENMARK
A hypothesis confirmed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which also stated that mink transmission to humans was possible. The continued spread of the coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) in mink farms could indeed give rise to other mutated strains, or variants, “of concern”.
The Danish authorities announced in early November that several hundred people had been infected with mutant strains of coronavirus from mink.
A POTENTIAL RISK TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VACCINES AND TREATMENTS
While most of the new strains in question are not considered more dangerous than the current virus, scientists at the Statens Serum Institut, which manages epidemics in Denmark, have indicated that one of these variants is of greater concern for the future. “If it spreads in Denmark or abroad, it could potentially have serious consequences for the protective effect of future vaccines,” the institute’s epidemiologists warned last week.
So a more in-depth assessment is needed to determine how to try to assess and prevent this major health risk, according to a new report.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for its part called on countries to monitor susceptible animals, such as mink and raccoon dogs, as well as humans in close contact with them, because of concerns about potential public health risks. “The risk of susceptible animals, such as mink, becoming a reservoir of Sars CoV-2 is a global concern because it could pose a continuing public health hazard and lead to future contagion effects on humans,” the Paris-based organization said in a statement.
