Will the Resurfaced Bodies of Culled Minks Increase the Risk of Spreading the Coronavirus?

Dead bodies of culled minks in Denmark rose from the grave, which caused health concerns as people are afraid that it could increase their risk of getting infected by the virus.

In early July, over 600,000 minks died of coronavirus in the Netherlands, which is the largest mink fur producer alongside China, Denmark, and Poland. Since coronavirus infections were also found in Denmark, the Danish government has decided to kill all farmed minks.

The decision came out after the data of a new study showed that mutated COVID-19 spreading throughout the farmed minks is not dangerous but still needs to be culled. Scientists said that mutations themselves are not particularly alarming or affect any future treatments since there is little evidence that it can be transmitted to humans.

But the Danish government do not want to take chances and ordered the killing of thousands of minks, which are buried in a mass grave. But just this week their bodies resurfaced, prompting growing health concerns.

Dead Bodies of Minks Resurfaced

When reports of farmed minks tested positive for COVID-19 were first reported, the Danish government immediately ordered to cull those infected ones from the healthy minks, and scientists have begun their research.

But since more and more minks tested positive, scientists finding a mutated version of SARS-CoV-2 that infected 12 people and showed decreased sensitivity to antibodies, and the fear that it could lower the efficiency of upcoming vaccines, the Danish government ordered to kill all farmed minks to prevent any possible transmission of COVID-19 from them to humans.

Euronews reported that the minks were then buried at a military ground near Holstebro, one of the several improvised mass graves across the country. But less than two weeks after thousands of minks were buried, it can be seen on the photos that hundreds of dead mink bodies start to resurfaced from the sandy soil after it is starting to decay, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said.

According to the local police, the minks were only covered with a layer of line and very sandy soil. Besides the Ministry for Environment and Agriculture said, there were also problems with dead minks being pressed down to the ground after they were dug down.

"This is considered to be a temporary problem related to the animals' putrefaction process. The National Operating Staff, which has coordinated the mink burials, is aware of the challenges and the dead mink are being covered on an ongoing basis," he added.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Denmark To Kill All Farmed Mink Due to Coronavirus Infections

Risk of COVID-19?

The mass graves are being guarded for 24 hours every day until a fence is built to make sure that no other animals or humans would come in close contact with the grave.

Since this has caused an alarm among people, authorities assured that there is no risk of the graves spreading the coronavirus. Still, people cannot help but complain about its potential risk of contaminating their drinking water and bathing lake as it is located only less than 200 meters away from the mass graveyard, Reuters reported.

Reports said that many lawmakers have criticized the hasty culling and killing of the minks and call for the dead bodies to be dug up and taken to a waste incinerator after complaints received from the residents.