Mink face cull after Covid-19 found

The Polish health minister has said mink on a farm in north-western Poland will be culled after the SARS-Cov-2 virus was detected.

It is the first time the virus has been found in mink on Polish fur farms.

Adam Niedzielski said that sanitary officers are also checking the health of the farm’s owner and its employees.

The ministry wrote in a Sunday press release that the country's veterinary inspectorate had taken steps to seal off a farm in the county of Kartuzy. "Administrative measures to eliminate animals" were also initiated, the statement read.

Representatives of the Polish fur industry said in a statement sent to PAP on Monday that the government was not offering any compensation for culled animals, and that they would launch a class-action lawsuit demanding reimbursement for losses.

On Monday, the Chief Veterinary Officer said an investigation had been launched to discover whether the farm had followed sanitary regulations. He added that possible compensation or penalties would depend on the findings.

Poland is one of the world's leaders in mink fur production, with its value estimated at PLN 7 billion (EUR 1.55 billion).