Q&A: Minks Can Transmit SARS-CoV-2 to Humans, Study Shows

Whole genome sequencing of the virus infecting the farm animals showed that it spread from the workers to the mink and back, indicating that an animal could serve as a viral reservoir.

Written byMax Kozlov

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Millions of minks globally have contracted COVID-19, leading government officials to call for the animals’ culling to prevent the virus from mutating, potentially reinfecting humans, or thwarting vaccination efforts.

Last week the World Health Organization launched an investigation into virus transmission on mink farms because researchers had identified one mutation labeled D614G in the spike protein of the virus that may increase transmission. There is no evidence so far that the mutation would increase virulence. It also “does not appear, at this point, that that mutation that’s been identified in the minks is going to have an impact on vaccines and affect a vaccine-induced response,” noted Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a November 12 webinar hosted by the think tank Chatham House.

Humans did initially inadvertently introduce the virus into mink farms, according to an analysis of ...

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Meet the Author

Max Kozlov
Max is a science journalist from Boston. Though he studied cognitive neuroscience, he now prefers to write about brains rather than research them. Prior to writing for The Scientist as an editorial intern in late 2020 and early 2021, Max worked at the Museum of Science in Boston, where his favorite part of the job was dressing in a giant bee costume and teaching children about honeybees. He was also a AAAS Mass Media Fellow, where he worked as a science reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Read more of his work at www.maxkozlov.com.
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