Covid19 jumps from mink to human

Can we get the Dutch to close all their mink farms?   That would help the Finnish ones.    

Actually, the fur farmers here seem to be very worried by the news out of the Netherlands.

Recently (last year) Finland blocked the export of live minks to China.  A Chinese businessman had bought a Finnish mink (and silver fox etc) farm and was wanting to ship most of the animals to China.  [BTW China is now/was one of the biggest buyers at the fur auctions].  The export was stopped on a technicality that the transport arranged was in contravention of EU standards for the transporting of live animals.  Only a short delay was needed as the animals had to be shipped before the breeding season, and that was provided by local farmers blocking all roads to the mink farm.  The businessman lost over 1 million Euros on this venture, as for some reason he was not able to take back and keep the animals so they all have to be put down.

Very interesting Josh.  However the human race, as usual, has brought it on themselves.  

Greedy, money grabbing fashion freaks, all around the world, shipped the mink out of its native habitat, so they could farm it for its fur to make a coat, gloves etc. for some rich bitch they wanted to impress.  This was followed by the actions of a bunch of ignorant town and city-dwelling morons that know absolutely nothing about nature, the countryside and the survival of species, who stole and released the mink from their disgusting owners.  This allowed the mink to populate landmasses they would not normally otherwise inhabit.  They decimated the wildlife and attacked the stock of small farmers like myself, even the small pets of some childred have been eaten.  This caused hardship, business failures and heartbreak to many people.  Native wildlife is really struggling with them.

As far as slate wipers are concerned: we, the human race, are a hybrid of no less than seven different anthropoid mammal species.  Over the last six million years, these beings have interbread and at the beginning of each of the ice ages, the weak hybrids died out.  The same happened at the beginning of each time of global warming (yes there have been lots - this one is not unique).  Modern man is composed of two main species, homo erectus and homo neanderthalensis, with tiny bits of all the others left in the gene pool.  Ironically, we got our physique, height, facial features from erectus, but contrary to the beliefs of the general public, our mental capabilities (intelligence) came from the neanderthal.  The problem now is, I (and most people) don't have sexual fantasies about orang-utan, chimps or gorillas.  So if this virus wipes our current hybrid out - we are screwed!

From [url]https://www.gelderlander.nl/binnenland/besmetting-door-nerts-wereldwijde-primeur-ook-konijnen-hebben-de-aandacht~a7bb0903/[/url] via google translate

Mink contamination a 'world first', even rabbits are receiving attention
According to virologists, the likely coronavirus infection of an animal on a human in a Dutch mink farm is a worldwide first. Further research should show whether more people are infected by minks. Rabbit farms also have the attention of researchers.

It sounds scary: a virus that wanders among humans, then is passed on to animals (mink in this case) and then from the mink to humans again. However, virologists are not very concerned, nor are they very surprised. ,, These animals have got the virus from humans, so then you know that humans can get it from the animal again. If you then come into contact with the animals, that is not entirely illogical ”, says virology professor Marion Koopmans of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.
(DJ-The same researcher believed Covid19 could not go H2H in february, no risk for children etc.)

Because the mink outbreak occurs within barn walls, Koopmans is not afraid that the animals will play an important role in the spread of the coronavirus. “The problem with this virus is mainly in people. You have to ensure that the people who work in those farms are well protected. ”

Worldwide first?
It has not yet been reported anywhere, a Covid-19 infection of a human by an animal. A worldwide first, says virologist Wim van der Poel of Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, who led the virological research on the infected mink farms in Brabant: ,, We already saw in the study of the minks that became infected last month that the genetic code of the virus somewhat different from the code in humans, but not very much. As a result, we took into account that this could happen. ”

In every human or animal that becomes infected with the coronavirus, the virus gives such a genetic code, the virus sequence. As a result, the route of the virus can be followed and it became clear that one person must have received the virus from the mink.

Whether it really is the first worldwide animal-to-human contamination is not certain, according to Koopmans. "You only see things when you look," she points out to the accurate registrations in the Netherlands. "The Animal Health Service has sounded the alarm because they saw that more minks died than usual. They came up with the idea to also test for corona. That does not happen everywhere in the world. ”

Further research will have to show whether the person now known to carry the virus is the only human who got the virus from animals. Koopmans: ,, We will map the virus sequence of all people in the vicinity of the farms that have been tested by the GGD. So, firstly, to see if there are any more animal-to-human infections, secondly, to make it even more certain that it really is, that the mink virus has been transmitted to humans. ”

In addition to minks, three cats were also infected with the corona virus at the farms. The virus has previously also been detected in dogs and hamsters, for example. The question is which other animals could carry the virus. Dutch cattle, for example. "It is very unlikely that pigs, chickens and cows will be able to get corona", says Van der Poel. "Rabbits are known to be sensitive to Covid-19. That is why rabbit farms also have our attention. ”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture said that no results have yet been obtained from the investigation into the rabbit farms. "As soon as there are, the House will be informed about this."


Toddling around

Marion Koopmans hopes and expects the coronavirus to disappear from the mink sheds again. ,, But we must of course know that from the point of view of public health. You do not want this virus to keep popping around in animal farms, so you have the chance that a new reservoir will arise. The 1918 influenza pandemic ended up in pigs and continued to circulate. That means you have a new virus variant, which can also escape back to people. We really have to prevent that. ”

Domestic cat

And our house cat? Virologist Wim van der Poel advises to keep the animal indoors when it shows colds or breathing problems. ,, And in that case it is also smartest to keep your distance from your cat. It seems that cats do not spread the virus very efficiently, but it is better not to risk it. ”

This is endorsed by medical microbiologist Bert Mulder from the Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital in Nijmegen. ,, I think that in case of an infection in the family with a cat, you should treat it like you do with other family members. So do not cuddle or pet. But again: the epidemic is a human-to-human epidemic. It is not the case that we now have to fear all kinds of animals. ”