6 months ago it was highlighted that COVID-19 was passed to captive mink in Denmark by humans and then passed back to them after it had mutated. The new strain has the potential to spread rapidly, as did the initial COVID-19 virus, and be undetected due to its similarity with the current strain. The new strain may render human vaccines useless.
Let us hope that it is well contained and that other captive animals, especially mammals at greater risk in captivity around the world, including ferrets, do not spread COVID-19 or allow it to mutate even further. If coronavirus spreads to wildlife through ferrets or mink escapees then it could mean devastation for many our native species, including other related mustelids such all as our wild weasels, stoats, badgers, and otters.
THANK YOU DEFRA – was it right to re-open zoos?
David Attenborough on the reason for new pandemics
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