The coronavirus was found at another three mink farms in the Netherlands, Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health) and Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) said in a letter to parliament on Monday. The virus was found in the companies during the mandatory screenings currently being conducted at all mink farms.
Another company is suspected of being infected with the COVID-19 virus. Further research is being conducted at this company.
In total, the coronavirus was found at six mink farms with eight locations in the Netherlands. The mink farms are located in the municipalities of Gemert-Bakel, Laarbeek, Deurne and Sint Anthonis. A company in Venray is suspected of having an infection.
These results should be included in the advice of the Outbreak Management Team-Zoonoses (OMT-Z), the ministers write. “At the moment, various options are being prepared and worked out in preparation for the OMT-Z advice, with public health always at the forefront. All conceivable measures will be considered, including the possibility of clearing infected mink farms.”
First contamination at mink farm was diagnosed at the end of April
The first infections at mink farms were detected in North Brabant at the end of April. Since then, several measures have been taken, including a mandatory screening by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) for mink antibodies at all mink companies in the Netherlands.
Last week, Minister Schouten decided to prohibit the transport of minks and visits to stables of mink companies.
The question is to what extent the coronavirus continues to circulate on the mink farms and whether this could become a source of contamination for humans and animals in this way. Research is still being conducted into this.
Earlier it became clear that it is plausible that the virus was transmitted from mink to human at least once in the Netherlands.
Follow the latest developments around the virus in our live blog.
The coronavirus in short
–
–
–
– .
