Coronavirus In The Netherlands: Mink Farms With the Virus
Mink Farms are in trouble during the coronaviruses pandemic in The Netherlands. There have been cases found that minks have the virus. And the farms are dangerous now.
The Brabant-Zuidoost Safety Region wants the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality — Carola Schouten — to order all mink companies in the region to be subjected to preventive clearance.
Twenty mink farms in The Netherlands have already been culled in recent weeks after coronavirus infections have been identified. In a letter to the minister, chairman Jorritsma writes that the preventive clearance of all companies means that uncertainty among the breeders is removed and no new infections can take place.
According to the safety region, clearing up after an infection is not “the appropriate answer to the problems we experience”. The possibility to restart a cleared breeding company is also criticized. “It is impossible to explain why it is possible to restart breeding activities in an area where the risk of infection has not yet passed and where there is a high chance of recurrence,” writes Jorritsma.
The letter speaks of an “unsatisfactory situation, which does not give the impression that we are in control of each other”. For example, it is unclear what the source of contamination is in recently infected companies. The role of farm cats is also unknown.
The Letter (in Dutch) — here translated:
“Dear Mrs. Schouten, In recent weeks, twenty mink farms have been culled after infection with its coronavirus SARS-Cov-2. Every new finding of contamination and the clearance of the infected company leads to a lot of worries and unrest among residents in the affected areas and among the affected entrepreneurs.
The Board of Brabant Zuidoost Safety Region calls on you to proceed to the preventive clearance of all mink companies in at least this region to prevent further contamination and unrest. The way which is currently being curated and we do not see any possibility to have a restart of the breeding companies as the appropriate answer to the experienced problems.
The eastern part of the province of North-Brabant has a large number of mink companies on a relatively limited surface and limited distances. We take as an example the municipality of Gemert-Bakel with 19 active mink companies within the municipal boundaries. Nine of them have now been removed. This concerns clearance of more than 80,000 breeding bitches out of a total of 157,291 breeding bitches within the municipal boundaries. In the neighboring municipalities of Laarbeek, Deurne, Sint Anthonis, Venray, and Uden have since also been cleared. But be in the total area a large number of breeding farms are still active.
What worries us is the source of contamination of the recently infected companies is unknown. The testing of personnel working in the mink industry is a voluntary base. The role of farm cats in infections in and around the farms is still unknown. But after culling mink farms, these cats start looking for the food. All in all an unclear and unsatisfactory situation, which does not give the picture that we are in control with each other.
We urge you to use your authority as a minister to do the rest to eliminate mink farms in at least our region. We are aware of it that research has not shown an increased risk of contamination of local residents. But with the culling of the mink companies, you are wearing in a positive way make sense to the perception of health and safety of our residents. It also ensures, at least in the short term, for clarity with the entrepreneurs involved. Such a drastic measure will remain effective if you also comply with the the motion of the House of Representatives with regard to repopulate culled businesses. For the time being, an imposed period of quarantine and a transport ban will occur that cleared companies start up again with keeping minks. A so-called voluntary quit scheme contributes to the same goal. Either way, it is the board of the Brabant-Zuidoost Safety Region that believes that everything should be done about it done to prevent culled mink farms from re-keeping animals.
It is able to restart breeding activities in an area where the risk of infection is still present has not passed and the chance of recurrence is high, it cannot be explained to the inhabitants in this part of the region. The memories of the Q fever and the recent Corona infections already have confidence in the care for public health put to the test.
We understand that these are not frivolous measures. But we nevertheless insist on the use of your authority to arrive at a firm approach to the problems and to promote peace for our residents who are anxious about this to wait.”
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