Covid-19 at another 3 mink farms; Over 34,000 animals set to be culled

The coronavirus was found at another three mink farms in the Netherlands, the responsible Ministries announced on Tuesday. Animals at two farms in De Rips in the municipality of Gemert Bakel tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after symptoms were reported. As did animals at a farm in Ven-Zelderheide in the municipality of Gennep.

The two farms in De Rips each have 14 thousand mother animals, the one in Ven-Zelderheide has 6 thousand. All these mink and their litters will be culled as soon as possible.

That brings the total number of SARS-CoV-2 contaminated mink farms in August to nine, with a total of 74,500 mother animals, or dam, and their litters culled. The virus has been found at 36 mink farms in the Netherlands since the pandemic started. 

In mid-July the Ministries of Agriculture and Public Health implemented extra hygiene measures around mink farms, based on advice from the Outbreak Management Team (OMT). As measures take some time to be implemented and show effect, the OMT expected that the coronavirus would be identified at more mink farms for a few weeks yet. The OMT expected that the virus would be found an estimated six to 12 more farms. So far, the number of new confirmed infections stands at 11. 

The OMT said that if mink on farms still tested positive for the virus after mid-August, the animals on mink farms may need to be culled preventatively, instead of only after an infection was established. The government is currently awaiting follow-up advice from the OMT on how to proceed.