FILE PHOTO: Minks are seen at Hans Henrik Jeppesen’s farm near Soroe, after the government’s decision to cull his entire herd due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Denmark November 5, 2020. REUTERS/Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
ATHENS — Greek authorities have found COVID-19 in mink at two farms in northern Greece, an agriculture ministry official said Friday.
The COVID-19 strain in the mink had not mutated, the official said, adding that 2,500 mink at one farm in the northern Kozani region would be culled.
The discovery comes days after Danish authorities launched a plan to cull Denmark’s entire population of 17 million mink after discovering a different strain of coronavirus in the animals.
“Coronavirus has been detected in mink at two farms in northern Greece,” the agriculture ministry official told Reuters.
The breeder at the farm had also contracted coronavirus and tests were being conducted on workers, the official said.
Fur trade is an important local industry in Kozani and nearby Kastoria, where the second farm is located. The population of mink is estimated at hundreds of thousands in Greece.