A global risk assessment conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal health (OIE) and WHO has shown that the overall risk of introduction and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19, from the fur-farming system to humans and to susceptible wildlife populations in the WHO European Region is considered high.
The global tripartite conducted the risk assessment in light of the Region’s high number of fur farms, the wide variety of susceptible animal species used in fur farming, and the high number of overall cases of COVID-19 reported among the human population.
It is well documented that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can transmit between humans and animals. In April 2020, the Netherlands was the first country to report SARS-CoV-2 in farmed minks. Since then, another 9 countries – 7 of which are in the European Region – have reported similar findings. The European Region includes the largest number of fur-producing countries of all WHO regions.
In November 2020, Denmark reported the detection of a mink-associated SARS-CoV-2 variant with a combination of mutations not previously observed (referred to as Cluster 5). Preliminary findings suggested a lower capability of antibodies to neutralize the strain, and isolates of the variant strain were shared with selected WHO reference laboratories.
Following these findings, WHO in collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) conducted a series of meetings with mink fur-producing countries as well as a survey about SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms in the European Region.
These efforts aimed to get an overview of the fur-farming industry in Europe, gather information about measures applied by countries to prevent and reduce virus transmission between humans and animals, and inform the development of the One Health risk assessment on SARS-CoV-2 in farmed fur animals. ...
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