Avian Flu Diary: France: MOA Reports COVID-19 Outbreak In Mink Farm

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In last Friday's Blog Preprint: Recurrent Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Genomes Isolated from Mink Point to Rapid Host-Adaptation - and the day before that in EID Journal: SARS-CoV-2 Transmission between Mink (Neovison vison) and Humans, Denmark -we looked at the propensity for mink to become infected by SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 - and recent concerns over mutated stains emerging in Mink farms and jumping back into humans in Denmark.

As mink are notoriously susceptible to both human and novel influenza viruses (see blogs below), their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 comes as little surprise.

Nature: Semiaquatic Mammals As Intermediate Hosts For Avian Influenza

Vet. MicroB.: Eurasian Avian-Like Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus from Mink in China

That Touch Of Mink Flu (H9N2 Edition)

H9N2 Adaptation In Minks

Since late spring we've seen reports of COVID-19 burning through mink farm in the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Greece and the United States, which has resulted in the culling of millions of animals.

Yesterday, the French Ministry of Agriculture announced the detection of COVID-19 at at at least one mink farm in the Eure-et-Loire region of northern France, and the testing of additional farms.

None of the farm personnel have tested positive for the virus, and there is no indication that the problematic mutated strain found in Denmark was present. Tests, however, are ongoing.

This (translated) statement from the MOA.

Surveillance of SARS-COV-2 in mink farms: a contaminated farm

22/11/2020
COMMUNICATED

Covid-19 infection spreads in mink farms in some European Union member states, mainly in Denmark, with the recent discovery of a variant virus, but also in the Netherlands and more recently in Sweden and in Greece - isolated cases have been detected in Italy and Spain. Cases are also reported in the United States of America.

France has in turn detected American mink contaminated by Covid-19.

Following the alerts notified by the Dutch health authorities last April, specific surveillance systems were put in place and biosecurity measures were reinforced in all mink farms in France from May. At the same time, the services of the Ministry of Health were alerted.

Analyzes have been carried out since mid-November as part of a scientific program led by ANSES to define the health status of the 4 French mink farms vis-à-vis the SARS-COV-2 virus.

At this stage, these analyzes revealed that the virus was circulating on a farm in Eure-et-Loir. As soon as they learned of these results, the Ministers concerned immediately ordered the slaughter of all 1000 animals still present on the farm and the elimination of products from these animals, in order to protect public health against the Covid-19.

Another breeding is unharmed. Analyzes are still underway in the last two farms and results are expected later this week. If results prove to be positive in one of these two farms, the same slaughtering measures as in the first concerned farm would be applied.

The results of the analyzes carried out on the breeders of the 4 farms were all negative. Reinforced surveillance has been put in place for 4 people in connection with the contaminated farm and new analyzes are underway.

The virus sequencing analysis will be known by the end of the week and should make it possible to exclude any contamination by the SARS-COV-2 variant.

Surveillance and enhanced biosecurity measures are maintained in the other three farms.

The ministers recall the importance of barrier gestures to fight against the spread of Covid-19: the aim is to protect mink from possible contamination from farm staff, but also, as a precaution, to avoid contact between infected animals and farm staff.

While COVID-19 is believed to have originated in bats - much as both SARS & MERS - it isn't known whether the virus jumped directly to humans, or went through an intermediate host before jumping to humans.

Even though COVID-19 is already well established in humans, it still matters that we find out how the virus jumped to humans - and identify any other animal reservoirs of the virus - where it could potentially mutate and jump back into humans.

Raccoon dogs in China (which are neither raccoons or dogs, but are foxes), have been suggested as a plausible intermediate host for COVID-19 (see EID Journal: Susceptibility of Raccoon Dogs for Experimental SARS-CoV-2 Infection), as have a number of other small mammals.

While dogs and cats are plausible intermediate hosts SARS-CoV-2 (see J. Clin. Microb: Serological Screening Of Dogs & Cats For Influenza A - Europe and Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Dogs & Cats - Italy), there is currently no evidence to suggest that either play a significant role in spreading COVID-19 to people.

To wrap up, three days ago The Lancet published a comment by one of our favorite researchers - Marion Koopmans, a noted virologist and head of the Erasmus MC Department of Viroscience - who succinctly addresses growing concerns over the existence of one or more alternate SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs, and the need to expand the search beyond just mink.