Netherlands - Mink may have infected a farm worker, cats - May 20, 2020

[Treyfish]

https://nltimes.nl/2020/05/20/mink-m...lture-minister

[Gert van der Hoek]

Press release (Dutch) from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, who are involved in investigating minkfarms in the Netherlands.


COVID-19 detected at four mink farms

What they found:

human to mink

mink to mink

mink to cats

mink to human

virus RNA in the air (dust) inside, in the stables

no virus RNA in the air outside

[Emily]

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wur.nl%2Fnl%2FOnderzoek-

Sounds like humans brought it into the farm, just like zookeepers infected the big cats here in the U.S.
Blaming domestic cats is a good way to get research funding and if really lucky, promote a new vaccine.

Resultaten%2FOnderzoeksinstituten%2FBioveterinary-Research%2Fshow-bvr%2FCOVID-19-geconstateerd-op-twee-nertsenbedrijven.htm
It is also plausible that mink has been contaminated by humans.
Possible contamination from animal to human

[sharon sanders]

hat tip Jason Gale

posted with permission


Mink Linked to Human Covid Case Prompts Dutch to Screen Farms
2020-05-20 09:29:13.603 GMT


By Jason Gale and Joost Akkermans
(Bloomberg) -- The Netherlands will start checking all mink
farms in the country for the coronavirus after research from an
ongoing probe found a person probably caught it from an infected
animal.
Screening of mink for antibodies will be mandatory in “the
interest of the health of employees,” the Dutch government said
in a statement late Tuesday. A farm worker was infected with a
strain that was genetically similar to one circulating among
mink, suggesting the animals were the source.
The semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals are raised for their
soft pelts on more than 130 Dutch farms. The pandemic virus was
probably introduced by an infected person originally.
Authorities are monitoring the outbreak to gauge its
persistence, said Marion Koopmans, head of the viroscience
department at the Erasmus University Medical Center in
Rotterdam.
“Does it burn out on the farms? I think that’s the biggest
question,” Koopmans, who helped investigate the outbreak, said
in an interview. “We would not want to have a persistent
situation.”
The outbreak began around April 19, when signs of
respiratory disease were reported among mink on two farms
located near each other in the province of Noord-Brabant, close
to the Belgian border. By the end of the month, 2.4% of the mink
had died on one farm and 1.2% on the other, according to a study
released Monday.
Koopmans and colleagues found that the new coronavirus
causes viral pneumonia in mink, which can spread it among each
other despite being separated in cages with non-permeable
barriers.

Feed, Bedding

The researchers posited that the virus might be transmitted
indirectly through contaminated feed or bedding material, by
infectious droplets generated by the sick animals, or by
contaminated dust from the bedding.
Traces of the virus were detected in airborne, inhalable
dust on the mink farms, creating a source of “transmission
between the minks and occupational risk of exposure for the
workers on the farms,” according to the study.
The researchers are also investigating the role of cats
that roam farmyards in potential virus transmission between mink
farms. Antibodies against the coronavirus were found in 3 out of
11 cats on one farm.
“It is advised that infected mink farms ensure that cats
cannot enter or leave the premises,” the government said in its
statement.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Jason Gale in Melbourne at j.gale@bloomberg.net;
Joost Akkermans in Amsterdam at jakkermans@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net
Anne Pollak, Marthe Fourcade

[bertrand789]

Merci Sharon,

les v?t?rinaires am?ricains se r?veillent quand ?

[Emily]

They are awake. They know the cruel killing of that nurse's dog in Spain was based on faulty science. That could be why they aren't jumping on this latest fear bandwagon.

https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/full/10.2460/javma.247.5.531

"To our knowledge, no published reports exist of
dogs or cats developing clinical signs of EVD or transmitting
Ebola virus to people or other animals. Even
areas of Africa with active EVD outbreaks have not
reported dogs or cats developing EVD. The only published
scientific data on EVD in dogs is from Allela et
al,6 who reported Ebola virus–specific IgG in 8.9% to
25.2% of blood samples obtained from dogs in Gabon
following an outbreak involving humans and nonhuman
primates.7 However, in that study,6 2% of dogs from
the control group, located in an area where Ebola virus
is not found, also had anti-Ebola virus IgG, suggesting
issues with the specificity of the assay and raising concerns
that the reported prevalence of anti-Ebola virus
antibodies was likely an overestimation. Furthermore,
in the same study,6 no evidence of Ebola virus infection
was found among dogs in Gabon, as all canine blood
samples tested for Ebola virus RNA with a reverse transcription
PCR assay had negative results."

[Gert van der Hoek]

At least one more human case infected by minks - More cats infected, total to 7

May 25, 2020

Letter to Parliament from Minister of Agriculture

In this case, the virus was detected in three people on the infected farm. The genetic code of these viruses shows great similarity to the genetic
codes as found in the minks . With the available information is most likely to be at least one of the three infected persons has been infected by a mink. Based on the data it is not possible to confirm whether more than one of these three persons is infected from minks

The new corona infections related to minks are a minkfarmer, his wife and his daughter. (LINK)

In our letter of May 19, we reported that three farm cats in an infected mink farm tested positive through serological testing.
Further investigation has taken place. In total, seven of the 24 sampled farm cats tested positive.

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binarie...nbedrijven.pdf

[Treyfish]

The President of the House of Representatives
of the States General
Box 20018
2500 EA THE HAGUE
Visiting address:
Parnassusplein 5
2511 VX The Hague
T 070 340 79 11
F 070 340 78 34
Box 20350
2500 EJ The Hague

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl

Characteristic
1694486-205571-PG
Correspondence only
address to the return address
indicating the date
and the characteristic of this
letter.

Date May 25, 2020
Concerns State of affairs in investigation COVID-19 op
mink companies
Page 1 of 3
Dear President,
In our letter dated May 19, we informed you about the state of
investigation matters on mink farms infected with SARS-CoV-2 and
a first plausible animal-human infection of the COVID-19 virus. Partly with
in view of the technical briefing that we have presented to your Chamber and that on
May 25, 2020 will take place, we inform you about the most recent
developments and research results.

A second case has recently become known, in which one of the
infected mink farms are most likely to be SARS-CoV-2 (CoV-2)
passed from mink to human. This case is similar to the previous one. In this
In this case, the virus was detected in three people on the infected farm. The
genetic code of these viruses shows great similarity to the genetic
codes as found in the company's minks. Under the
Available information is most likely to be at least one of the three
infected persons has been infected by a mink. It is not from the data
possible to determine whether more than one of these three persons is from the mink
is infected.

In this company, too, the infection probably did not yet occur
It was known that mink were infected on this farm and that there were no personal ones yet
protective equipment was used. RIVM has indicated that this is correct
and consistent use of personal protective equipment in a stable
infected mink farm infection. RIVM also assesses that it
risk of human exposure to the virus outside the barn
is negligible and has not changed due to this new research result.

Genetic family tree

In our previous letter, we reported that researchers have identified the "genetic
pedigree of infected people from the environment of the infected
mink farm with the first plausible mink-human contamination even further
mapping, in order to obtain the most complete picture possible.

That has since happened. No viruses were found with in that environment
a genetic coding that fits within that of the infected mink farm. This
supports the conclusion that it is plausible that there is a
mink contamination on humans.
This has also been compared to viruses from infected people in the environment
occurred at the above mentioned second company with a
probable mink-human infection.

Also the three genetic codes found at
the people on this farm do not match the known genetic codes of the
viruses from Covid-19 patients in the environment and in the Netherlands.
Among people,
therefore, no circulating virus is known from which it is present in the region of the company either
three genetic codes may have arisen.

Farm Cats and COVID-19

In our letter of May 19, we reported that there are three farm cats on it
an infected mink farm tested positive for serological testing. On this
further investigation has taken place. In total, seven of the 24
sampled farm cats tested positive at a serological site
research. That is, these positive cats have antibodies
created against the virus. One of the positive cats was under investigation
virus detected, however the amount of virus detected is probably too
little to unravel the genetic code. The other six cats could
no virus can be detected. This means that the last six cats have experienced a CoV2 infection and no longer excrete a virus. Because cats
being infected with CoV-2 has been previously known to infected mink farms
advised to ensure that their cats cannot enter the company premises
leave.
Screening and measures for mink companies

As announced in the letter of May 19 last, a start is being made this week
with the sampling for the mandatory screening of all mink farms in
The Netherlands. Screening at surrounding companies is already taking place around the contaminated locations
started earlier. As long as the results of the screening are not yet known, they will be
week - in addition to the measures already in force for the infected mink farms -
As a precaution, veterinary measures will also apply to all mink companies
in the Netherlands, such as a visitor ban in the stable. These measures are now
your House will be informed about this further this week.

Veterinary epidemiological research on infected farms

Finally, at the end of this week, the results of the veterinary epidemiological
research known to be conducted in the three locations of the first two
infected mink farms. Based on the results, veterinary experts can
give an estimate of whether CoV-2 will be available on the mink farms in the foreseeable future
extinguish or not. Based on this estimate, experts in the field of
human health, complemented by veterinary expertise, assess what it
is a risk to public health from the infected mink farms.

On the basis of this advice, we will determine the measures necessary to avert this risk. All conceivable measures will be considered. We will inform your Chamber about this as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Agriculture, Welfare and Sport, Nature and Food Quality, Hugo de Jonge
Carola Schoutenhttps://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binarie...nbedrijven.pdf

[Treyfish]

MINK FARMS: UP TO 3 MORE PEOPLE INFECTED WITH CORONAVIRUS BY ANIMALS


By Janene Pieters on May 25, 2020 - 13:30
There may have been another case of mink to human coronavirus transmission at a second mink farm in the Netherlands. Three people who work at this mink farm have a coronavirus that has a genetic code very similar to the virus found in minks on the farm, Ministers Carola Schouten of Agriculture and Hugo de Jonge of Public Health said in a letter to parliament.

"On the basis of the information available, it is most likely that at least one of the three infected persons was infected by a mink," the Ministers said. ...https://nltimes.nl/2020/05/25/mink-f...avirus-animals

...

[Emily]

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/05/coronavirus-from-mink-to-human-cvd/

Did a mink just give the coronavirus to a human? Here’s what we know.

There is no need to panic about the latest reports from the Netherlands.

By Dina Fine MaronPUBLISHED May 21, 2020
...

There are more than 800,000 mink living on Dutch farms and, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the industry brings in about $100 million dollars a year. In the wild, the weasel-like animals live in or near water. Their soft fur has long been coveted for clothing, particularly in China, the top importer of mink pelts.

In 2016, there were more than 150 fur farms in the Netherlands that produced six million mink pelts, according to Humane Society International, but those fur farms are being phased out. Starting in 2013, the government prohibited the opening of new mink farms, and all existing facilities are required to close by 2024. PJ Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane Society International, says this mink coronavirus development could hasten the closures. He describes mink farms throughout Europe as akin to factory farms for poultry and pigs. “They have rows and rows of cages kept in barns where thousands of mink are kept. Several animals are kept in each cage, and their waste falls through wire bars onto the ground.”...
...
The farm worker who contracted the coronavirus has recovered. Meanwhile, authorities are introducing new health and safety regulations. Mink on all farms will now be tested for coronavirus antibodies to ascertain how prevalent the virus has been in those settings. At farms found to have infected animals, visitors aren’t allowed into mink sheds, and employees must use personal protective equipment. In addition, farms must report to the government any case of a mink showing symptoms of COVID-19.

Why aren't these protective measures in place before a mink farm is infected? Do they think it is impossible for humans to infect minks? The virus may change from the initial introduction while passing among minks and then be passed back to humans, but then humans could be passing the virus from farm to farm after that.

[bertrand789]

En France, je crois me souvenir qu'il y a 14 000 visons de compagnie. J'avais pos? la question du nombre ? NW, sans avoir de r?ponse, aux Etats Unis , on ne sait plus compter ?

Mais, les v?t?rinaires am?ricains priv?s et publics, vont, peut ?tre, cette fois, nous montrer de belles choses...