Coronavirus: A New Strain from Denmark

A new strain of the coronavirus has been detected in Denmark that is linked to human to mink and back to human transmission. 

CNN (Nov 7) reports about the situation:

Denmark announced it would cull its entire mink population after it discovered evidence that the disease that causes novel coronavirus had mutated in mink, after being passed on by humans. The new variant was also found to have spread to humans, with 214 confirmed infections as of Friday.

. . . Reuters reported that 90,000 mink were slain in Spain over the summer after an outbreak at a farm, after which several human workers at the farm were infected. In June, Reuters also reported that 10,000 mother mink and around 50,000 mink pups were gassed to death on a farm in the southern Dutch town of De Mortel, as part of the country's wider drive to cull around 3,500.

. . . Coronavirus mutations are not expected to alter vaccine efficacy, a World Health Organization scientist said in June.

BBC (Nov 10) adds:

Danish scientists are worried that genetic changes in a mink-related form of the virus, infecting a dozen people, has the potential to make future vaccines less effective.

. . . The genetic data from Denmark was released on an international database a few days ago, with some scientists questioning why it had not been released sooner.

"I think that it is most disappointing that the data have only just reached the light of day," said Prof James Wood, head of the department of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

He said the genetic changes needed careful evaluation, as reports from Denmark suggested an effect on immunity. "This may be what triggered the enhanced quarantine measures for travellers from Denmark. . . . "

It is interesting to note that the WHO back in June didn't believe that mutations would impact vaccine efficacy. Yet, BBC argues that the reason for the mink cull is due to concerns about the impact on vaccines. Are governments being overly cautious or will the WHO shift their position on this possibility at some point.

There is also the note about "enhanced quarantine measures for travellers from Denmark." The way it is stated is meant as speculation. From the articles, it looks like only the UK has taken such action and not other nations so not sure if other European countries share a similar level of concern.

If mink are impacted by coronavirus, how about other species. The New York Times (Nov 8) explores this:

Tony Goldberg, a veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the head of the Kibale EcoHealth Project, said that he has seen the devastation wrought by respiratory diseases among chimpanzees. A deadly outbreak in 2013 at the reserve turned out to be the result of human rhinovirus C, the most common cause of the common cold worldwide. Until then, it had never been seen in chimps.

“The last thing we need is for SARS-CoV-2 to move into an animal reservoir from which it could re-emerge,” Dr. Goldberg said. 

The article also mentions that researches are studying species ranging from Beluga whales to deer mice. Dr. Goldberg is concerned about the impact on animals. Yet, one needs to be concerned that a more deadly form of SARS-CoV-2 or just some new deadly combination could result from the transmission from bats (assuming this is the most logical starting point of this virus) to humans to chimpanzees to humans.