17 Million Animals to Be Slaughtered in ‘Unhinged’ COVID Mutation Scare
ROME—There are few things that make scientists more nervous during an out-of-control pandemic than inter-species contagion of a mutated strain of a deadly virus. That’s why Denmark—the world’s largest supplier of fur—has taken the unprecedented decision to cull it’s entire mink population, that’s nearly 17 million animals.
The drastic step was taken after 12 incidents of a mutated strain of COVID-19 jumping from the densely-furred animals to humans. Those people then spread it to nearly 400 others through human-to-human contagion. Denmark’s State Serum Institute reported that 214 of those had been recorded with “mink-related versions” of COVID-19.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that health experts say the mutated virus could weaken the human body’s ability to form antibodies, which would jeopardize the vaccines currently in development. “We have a great responsibility towards our own population, but with the mutation that has now been found, we have an even greater responsibility for the rest of the world as well,” Frederiksen said at a press conference Wednesday when she announced the mass cull, underscoring concern that the mutated virus “may pose a risk to the effectiveness of a future vaccine.”
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