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Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

thelocal.dk

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Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#21

Post by apazzolini »

pinipedman wrote: post #17
bzb6 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans > Minks

Humans raise mink in horrible conditions just to be slaughtered so we can make a fashion statement. Then, when the very conditions we created become an inconvenience to us, we slaughter them and fail to make even frivolous use of them, rendering their tortured lives even more pointless and sad. After all that you have to be pretty callous and self-important as a species to think "Humans > Minks"

I completely agree with your first paragraph, but humans > minks by literally any measure.

Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#22

Post by abeppu »

graeme wrote: post #18

This is one of the serious dangers with the idea of letting the virus run wild to achieve herd immunity: you create a lot of animal reservoirs. Though minks do seek way riskier than average.

Why are minks riskier than average? Is it because of biological similarity (but then, there are lots of other mammals), or because of the conditions they're kept in? Naively, I might have just expected that cows or pigs or sheep would be the highest risks in aggregate, just because of numbers.

Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#23

Post by recursive »

apazzolini wrote: post #21
pinipedman wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans raise mink in horrible conditions just to be slaughtered so we can make a fashion statement. Then, when the very conditions we created become an inconvenience to us, we slaughter them and fail to make even frivolous use of them, rendering their tortured lives even more pointless and sad. After all that you have to be pretty callous and self-important as a species to think "Humans > Minks"

I completely agree with your first paragraph, but humans > minks by literally any measure.

> humans > minks by literally any measure

Not by the measure of the luster of their coat.

Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#26

Post by ssijak »

Radle wrote: post #4
jjtheblunt wrote: post #3

That's horrible, and how can anyone find that ok. Per "Guns, Germs, and Steel", it's not even strategic, because diversification of existing strains should naturally select the least deadly, as well as spread antibodies across species boundaries.

The animals are killed anyway for their fur. What do you think mink farms are?

That does not make it less but more cruel.

Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#28

Post by claudeganon »

abeppu wrote: post #22
graeme wrote: post #18

This is one of the serious dangers with the idea of letting the virus run wild to achieve herd immunity: you create a lot of animal reservoirs. Though minks do seek way riskier than average.

Why are minks riskier than average? Is it because of biological similarity (but then, there are lots of other mammals), or because of the conditions they're kept in? Naively, I might have just expected that cows or pigs or sheep would be the highest risks in aggregate, just because of numbers.

The respiratory systems of Mustelidae are similar enough to humans that they easily can become a reservoir for human disease or vector for cross-species transmission. We’ve used ferrets in all kinds of respiratory disease research for this reason (particularly flu studies).

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/24/6/17-2114_article

You’re right about livestock more generally though. Avian and swine livestock also pose a huge risk for pandemic disease. But Mustelidae do as well.

Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#29

Post by djxfade »

cheph wrote: post #25
signamos wrote: post #16

I hope that ends the industry. And make the state provide better/different jobs for the people affected.

Denmark is not a socialist/communist/marxist country, it is not the Danish state's function to provide jobs for people.

You don't have something simulator to Norways social services? In Norway they will help you find a new job, and offer re-education. You also gets up to 80% of your former salary provided by the government until you do.

Re: Denmark to cull millions of minks over mutated coronavirus

#30

Post by spockz »

ericmay wrote: post #2

> Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, said Wednesday it would cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at its mink farms and had spread to people. Questions: 1. Is this worrisome? 2. If Denmark is catching this, should we be concerned that the virus has mutated in other animals and has thus far gone undetected?

The same story has been in the Dutch news. Apparently the virus has crossed three times between human and mink. His tone is satirical but the facts check out: https://youtu.be/LOT9BTMVRUI
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