It is not just the humans who are braving with the current pandemic of coronavirus. Some animals have also been reported in the past few months to contract the deadly infection like lions, tigers, minks and dogs. Now after 90 minks tested positive for Coronavirus at a farm in Spain, the authorities have decided to cull 90,000 of these animals! The farm located in Teruel province's La Puebla de Valverde has been in isolation since the month of May after seven workers tested positive. Mink Suspected to Have Infected Dutch Farmer With COVID-19.

As per the region's chief of agriculture and environment, Joaquin Olona, there is no evidence whether this transmission was from animal to human or the other way around. But it has been observed that there is community transmission among the animals here. BBC report states, about 87% of the mink were found to be infected for coronavirus. This puts the health of the public here at risk which is why the decision has been taken to cull the minks entirely. So health authorities have ordered all 92,700 animals to be culled.

The outbreak in Aragón province was discovered in May after a farm employer and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. Six other farm workers have also tested positive. The farmers will be given monetary compensation in return.

The earliest reports of coronavirus in minks came in from farms in the Netherlands after two animals tested positive in the month of April. In May there was a suspicion that the farm animal transmitted the infection to a Dutch farmer. After these instances, Netherlands tightened measures, making screening of all mink farms for the virus mandatory and banning visits to all infected farms. The Holland government has also banned the transportation of minks fearing the transmission of coronavirus. The existing farms were put in quarantine. It also plans a scheme to shut down mink farming by the year 2024.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2020 04:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).