(ANSA) – BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 27 – Mink are confirmed as the animals with the highest probability of being infected and transmitting the Covid virus, while the probability of contagion for dogs and cats is very low or none. These are the conclusions of a joint study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). EU agencies therefore recommend applying preventive and control measures on mink farms, including frequent tests on mink workers, who should use masks and personal protective equipment. The possible transmission of Covid between humans and minks was documented as early as 2020, and a few days ago the Danish government announced that it will slaughter millions of minks due to a mutated variant of the virus that has infected 12 people in Northern Jutland.
Among pets, cats, ferrets and some species of hamster are most at risk, but EFSA and ECDC indicate a very low to none probability of infection and do not recommend any specific monitoring. No specific monitoring is needed for wildlife in the EU either. (HANDLE).
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