Again, two mink farms in Brabant have detected infections with the coronavirus among mink, reports Minister Carola Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality on Friday evening. At the end of April, two other companies in the province also found the corona virus.
The new infections have been identified on farms in the municipality of Deurne and in the locality De Mortel (municipality of Gemert-Brakel). The latter company is the location of a holder of a previously infected company in Milheeze. The virus was also found on a company in Laarbeek.
Other mink companies in the area will also be investigated in the near future. Blood tests are used to determine whether animals have also been infected here.
Following the first infections, the ministry started an investigation on these two companies at the end of April. Initial results show that corona contamination in minks can lead to pneumonia, but that few animals develop serious complaints or die. Highly pregnant animals appear to be at risk. It has also become clear that the minks have passed on the disease among themselves and that not only contamination has taken place from humans to animals.
In addition, the minister writes that the coronavirus was found in dust particles in the stable. It is not yet known whether people can become infected through these particles. No virus was found in the air samples outside the house. In the coming weeks, more measurements will be taken inside and outside the stables.
Roads around contaminated farms closed in a radius of 400 meters
The mayors of the two municipalities where the first infected companies are located, previously decided on the advice of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) to park the roads within a radius of 400 meters around the companies as a precaution. This will also be maintained for the two new companies.
When more measurements have been taken, RIVM will shortly come up with a risk assessment again. It is expected to take until the end of May for the last air samples to be collected and analyzed.
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The coronavirus in short
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