No human cases have been reported to date. The virus has been detected predominantly in mink farms
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For the moment, no human cases have been identified but experts believe it could be a variant of B.1.1.307 reported in different parts of Europe between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. Compared to the latter, however, the new variant has differences in 40 nucleotides.
For the moment no “human” case
A new variant of Sars-CoV-2 was identified in Poland, in two very close mink farms, in November 2022 and January 2023. The discovery was reported on ‘Eurosurveillance’, in an article describing this “lineage cryptic” of the Covid-19 virus as the “possible result of undetected prolonged circulation in an unknown animal reservoir” at the time. For now, it is specified, no human cases of the new lineage have been identified.
It could be a source for future outbreaks
The most similar ‘human’ variant is B.1.1.307, the last sequences of which were reported in various parts of Europe between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. But compared to the latter, the mink virus has differences in 40 nucleotides , suggesting the possibility of “independent viral evolution” which “could constitute a source for future outbreaks with new strains”.
“The surveillance system for SarS-CoV-2 infections in the region should be strengthened – the researchers recommend – by testing mink and humans more frequently on these farms, but wild animals such as mink, cats, martens, skunks or foxes”.