Not just minks, Denmark also kills covid- positive cats in fur farms

In Denmark, 15-17 million minks have been killed across the country's farms.  

An extreme decision taken by the national government after some minks tested positive for a mutation of the coronavirus and for the fear that it could spread to humans.  A decision that has also been taken by other countries, where mass culls have been carried out or have decided to ban these types of breeding forever.  

In Denmark, however,  it was not only minks that fell victim to a high risk farming model that spread disease.  Even some cats in Denmark’s farms were killed because they tested positive for the virus.

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On a farm in the city of Holstebro, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration tested 24, 12 of which tested positive for coronavirus. And, according to the Dagbladet Holstebro-Struer website, the infected felines would be put down.

The same newspaper also writes that it has repeatedly asked the state agency for explanations about the incident, without however receiving answers.  The incident was expected to be confirmed by Lone Nielsen, veterinarian and director of the association Kattens Værn, which would have participated in the capture and killing of the cats.

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The Statens Serum Institut (SSI), a research institution for the study of infectious diseases, confirmed in an email to the website that "33 cats present in seven mink farms infected with covid- 19 have been examined", and in two of these facilities traces of the virus were found in pharyngeal samples of felines, and one of the farms had cats that developed antibodies to covid- 19.

"The only mink farm where we detected virus in cat samples is located in the city of Holstebro. Viruses were found in pharyngeal swabs from 12 cats out of 24 animals tested at the infected mink farm, and antibodies to covid-19 were found in 13 cats. Follow-up investigations into the type of virus the cats have are ongoing and have not been completed," SSI wrote in the email to the website.