Denmark - Coronavirus detected in 289 mink farms - All Danish mink (15-17 million) must be killed because coronavirus has mutated and has spread to hu

[Gert van der Hoek]

Every fifth mink farm in Hj?rring has had coronavirus

September 15, 2020



Another three North Jutland mink farms have found coronavirus. 14 of Hj?rring's 65 mink farms have now been infected.

Coronavirus has been registered in the population of three more mink farms in North Jutland.This is stated by the North Jutland online media Nordtinget.

Two of them are in Hj?rring Municipality, where there were already 12 infected mink farms, while the other is in the neighboring municipality of Frederikshavn, where there was already one infected mink farm. In Hj?rring Municipality, it is now more than every fifth mink farm where infection with coronavirus has been registered.

The number of North Jutland mink farms where coronavirus has been registered is now a total of 16.

In June, animals on three North Jutland mink farms were found to be infected with coronavirus.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

See also previous posts: Denmark - Mink Farms Affected by Coronavirus

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Corona is spreading: Now on every fourth farm in Hj?rring

16 september 2020

As many as 18 mink farms are now infected with the corona virus in Denmark.

Yesterday, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration was able to report on three more mink farms that had contracted the corona virus, bringing the total number to 16. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration now informs landbrugsavisen.dk that two more farms have today tested positive for corona. This brings the total number to 18 infected mink farms.

16 of the 18 farms are located in Hj?rring municipality, while the last 2 are located in Frederikshavn municipality.
As there are 65 mink farms in Hj?rring municipality, this means that every 4th mink farm in the municipality is now infected with corona virus.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020


A total of 19 mink farms infected with coronavirus

On Thursday, another mink farm was found infected with coronavirus.

The infection among mink on North Jutland mink farms continues.

A total of 19 mink farms have either been or have now been found to be infected with coronavirus. In addition, one more mink farm is being investigated for possible infection. The latest infected farm is located in Frederikshavn Municipality.

This is confirmed by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to Landbrugsavisen.


Map: courtesy Landbrugavisen

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

The food minister is tightening corona controls on mink farms

Following the discovery of covid-19 in an increasing number of mink herds, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration is intensifying its control efforts with unannounced visits and more frequent monitoring. 20 mink farms have been found infected.
From Monday 21 September, the country's mink farms can receive unannounced inspection visits by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

It must ensure that the staff at the farms take the necessary precautions with, among other things, the use of bandages, rubbing alcohol and other protective equipment. The unannounced inspection visits are introduced after covid-19 has been found in an increasing number of mink farms locally in North Jutland.

It is, of course, worrying that the infection is spreading, and we must ensure that the risk of infection is as small as possible. Therefore, I have asked the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to take unannounced random checks to check whether the employees on the country's mink farms follow the authorities' instructions on the use of protective equipment and other precautions, says Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mogens Jensen.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Suspicion of corona is spreading: Mink farms in Zealand and L?s? in the spotlight


sept 22, 2020

The number of mink farms being examined for corona has increased from zero this Friday to seven this morning. The weekend has not brought good news about the coronavirus infection on the mink farms.

New figures show that while the list of farms with suspected coronavirus was down to zero mink farms on Friday, the number of farms being examined for infection has now risen to no less than seven. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration confirms this to Landbrugsavisen.dk.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Hj?rring Municipality, together with the neighboring municipality of Frederikshavn, is responsible for all of the now 25 registered cases of covid-19 among mink in Denmark.

In addition, five more farms are under suspicion. The 22 of the infected farms are in Hj?rring Municipality, while the three more infected are in Frederikshavn Municipality.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Update sept 25 : Total infected farms to 27

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Update sept 29 : Total infected farms to 33

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Update sept 30 : Total infected farms to 37

Kort over unders?gelse for COVID-19 i mink
https://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Update oct 1 : Total infected farms to 41

Kort over unders?gelse for COVID-19 i mink
https://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Minister will keep mink in Denmark despite infection

oct 1, 2020

More than one million mink must be killed as a result of coronavirus, but there is no reason to suspend or completely phase out production, as, for example, the Netherlands has decided.

This is what Minister of Food, Mogens Jensen (S) says after a press conference on Thursday evening.

- There are two very different things to consider about whether you want to phase out mink production for different reasons.

- This has been done in the Netherlands, which has 120 mink farms. In Denmark, it is a much larger industry, so it is a big consideration, he says.

According to Danske Minkavlere, there are 942 mink farms in Denmark. On Thursday evening, Mogens Jensen presented the government's plan to get rid of coronavirus among mink.

This means that up to 100 North Jutland mink herds with one million animals must be killed.Infection has been found on 41 farms, and a further 20 are suspected of being infected.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Infected mink herds must be slaughtered

Corona infection has now been found in 41 mink herds in North Jutland, just as there is a suspicion of infection in another 20 Danish mink herds. The government has therefore decided to shut down the crews. Press release issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Food

Press release , Published: October 2, 2020

In spite of a number of preventive measures, there is a short time has been a large increase in the number of mink farms in Northern Jutland, which are either infected with COVID-19 or suspected it.

In the authorities' opinion, the spread of infection among the North Jutland mink herds now constitutes such a serious problem that the government has decided to kill infected herds, herds where there is a suspicion of infection, and herds in the immediate vicinity of the infected herds.

Read more

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Authorities did not believe mink could aggravate the epidemic - but they could​

For weeks, authorities have maintained that there is a low risk of COVID-19 being transmitted from mink to humans in the surrounding community. Now there are many indications that it has happened anyway. The Minister acknowledges that the strategy so far has not worked

The many outbreaks of COVID-19 among mink have contributed to exacerbating the infection among humans in North Jutland.
This was revealed by K?re M?lbak, academic director of the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) at a press conference on Thursday.
Nevertheless, SSI and other health authorities have maintained an assessment that there is a low risk of the infection spreading from mink to humans..

It is the risk assessment that has formed the basis of the government's strategy. A strategy which, until Thursday, has meant that the infected mink herds have not been killed.
It is now clear that the authorities' risk assessment has been incorrect. This is what Hans J?rn Kolmos, professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Southern Denmark, says.
"There is no doubt about that at all," he says.
'In my opinion, the authorities' assessment has been marked by wishful thinking. It does not take much biological understanding to figure out that this could happen. "

The infection pressure among people in the North Jutland municipalities is significantly above the national average. During the past week, 96 new cases of COVID-19 have been found among people in Hj?rring and Frederikshavn municipalities. Part of the infection comes from mink. This was stated by K?re M?lbak at the press conference.
He also said that mink breeders and their employees are the professional group in the country that has the greatest risk of becoming infected with COVID-19.

"Low risk"

When the first mink herds were found to be infected with COVID-19 in June, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mogens Jensen (S) chose to have them all killed based on a precautionary principle.

In early July, he received a so-called decision basis from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, the National Board of Health, the Danish Agency for Patient Safety and SSI. Here, they recommended, among other things, that mink breeders should wear protective equipment, maintain high hygiene and limit access to the farm if infection had been found among the minks.
?By following the current guidelines for people working on mink farms that are positive for COVID-19, it is assessed that there is little risk of infection from a COVID-19 positive mink farm into the surrounding community via people, ”the authorities wrote in the decision basis.
Against this background, the government decided to no longer kill the infected mink herds.

A few months later, the infection on the North Jutland mink farms began to rise sharply. According to the latest figures, 41 mink farms have been found positive for COVID-19. Another 20 farms are suspected.

Hans J?rn Kolmos does not believe that the authorities in July had sufficient grounds to assess that there was a low risk of infection from mink to the surrounding community.

?Mogens Jensen's first instinct to kill these mink based on a precautionary principle was right enough. But all of a sudden, it was no longer considered dangerous. It's a mystery to me how to assess it. I do not think one could draw that conclusion at that time. You had no experience, "he says.

New assessment

Despite the increasing infection among both mink and humans in North Jutland, the authorities have throughout maintained the assessment that there is a low risk of COVID-19 from mink being released into the surrounding community.
Until a few hours before Thursday's press conference, Nikolas Hove, head of emergency preparedness at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, said that the low risk assessment was maintained:

"Yes. We still have no reason to assume that there is a massive spread of infection from mink to humans, "he said before the press conference.

But now the minister has received a new, updated risk assessment from SSI.
There is still a lack of definitive evidence that humans have been infected with mink recently. But several things suggest it, says Nikolas Hove.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

48 mink farms have been infected with corona since June

Oct 6, 2020

Since Friday, four more mink farms have been found infected with coronavirus.

Coronavirus infection has been found in four new mink herds.

All four infected herds are located in North Jutland, where a total of 48 mink farms have now been found infected, and a further 25 are under suspicion and are being examined for infection.

It shows a statement from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

30 out of the 48 infected farms are in Hj?rring Municipality. Thus, almost half of the Municipality's 65 mink farms are affected.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Update oct 7 2020 : Total infected mink farms 51

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Corona infection has spread to 52 mink farms

7 Oct 2020

Corona infection has affected a total of 52 mink farms, while a further 42 are suspected of infection in the herd.
The authorities have already taken a number of steps. For example, monitoring of mink farms has increased, while mink farms can now receive unannounced visits from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
But at a press conference last week, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mogens Jensen (S) announced that up to 100 North Jutland mink herds must be killed.

Here are selected findings in the course of coronavirus on the Danish mink farms in Denmark:
* On 17 June, the first notification comes from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration that corona infection has been found on a mink farm in North Jutland.
* On 20 June, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration announces that there is corona infection on another mink farm.
* On 22 June, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration will launch a comprehensive screening of 120 mink farms. In the time that follows, there are ongoing reports of corona infection on several mink farms.
* On 15 September, the online media Nordtinget can report that every fifth North Jutland mink farm has had corona infection among mink.
* On 30 September, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency encourages hunters in North Jutland to hand in slaughtered predators to find out whether corona infection has occurred from here and to mink farms.
* On 1 October, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mogens Jensen (S) states that corona infection has been found on a total of 41 Danish mink farms. Up to 100 North Jutland crews must be killed.
* On 6 October, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration informs that 51 Danish mink farms have been infected, while 42 are under suspicion.
* On October 7, infection is registered for the first time on a mink farm in Central Jutland in Bording.
* According to the plan, the killing of up to 100 mink herds corresponding to about one million animals was to begin. But the killing can only begin when an agreement on compensation for the mink breeders is in place.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Update oct 8 2020 : Total infected mink farms 63

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Corona wave grows: 4 million. mink must be culled

Another 12 Danish mink farms have been affected by corona infection over the weekend. 76 farms are now infected and surrounded by zones where all mink must be killed. The industry estimates that there are more than four million mink in the culling zones.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

The number of infected mink farms is rising again


89 mink farms have now been diagnosed with coronavirus in the herd. Photo: John Christensen


The infection is rising among the Danish mink farms.

It is not uplifting to follow the development in the infection rate for the Danish mink farms.

From Tuesday to Wednesday, the number of farms with coronavirus has again increased.

This time from 80 found infected farms to 89, reports the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

The board also writes that 49 mink farms are under suspicion of corona.



See also Government website: https://www.foedevarestyrelsen.dk/D...ort-over-kommuner-med-smittede-minkfarme.aspx