<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_jvetres-2021-0017_s_005">
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Since April 2020, when the first SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in mink and subsequently in mink farm workers in the Netherlands, it has been confirmed that human-to-mink and mink-to-human transmission can occur. Later, SARS-CoV-2 infections in mink were reported in many European and North American countries.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2021-0017_s_006">
<h3>Material and methods</h3>
<p>Samples from 590 mink from a total of 28 farms were tested by real-time RT-PCR. Whole genome sequences from one positive farm were generated and genetic relatedness was established.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2021-0017_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on a breeder farm with stock of 5,850 mink. Active viraemia was confirmed in individually tested samples with Ct values respectively between 19.4 and 29.6 for E and N gene fragments. Further testing of samples from culled animals revealed 70% positivity in throat swabs and 30% seropositivity in blood samples. Phylogenetic analysis of full-length nucleotide sequences of two SARS-CoV-2 isolates revealed that they belong to the 20B Nextstrain clade. Several nucleotide mutations were found in analysed samples compared to the reference Wuhan HU-1 strain and some of them were nonsynonymous.</p></sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2021-0017_s_008">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>We report the infection of mink with SARS-CoV-2 on one farm in Poland and the results of subsequent analysis of virus sequences from two isolates. These data can be useful for assessment of the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in Poland and how it endangers public health.</p></sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Since April 2020, when the first SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in mink and subsequently in mink farm workers in the Netherlands, it has been confirmed that human-to-mink and mink-to-human transmission can occur. Later, SARS-CoV-2 infections in mink were reported in many European and North American countries.

Material and methods
Samples from 590 mink from a total of 28 farms were tested by real-time RT-PCR. Whole genome sequences from one positive farm were generated and genetic relatedness was established.

Results
SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on a breeder farm with stock of 5,850 mink. Active viraemia was confirmed in individually tested samples with Ct values respectively between 19.4 and 29.6 for E and N gene fragments. Further testing of samples from culled animals revealed 70% positivity in throat swabs and 30% seropositivity in blood samples. Phylogenetic analysis of full-length nucleotide sequences of two SARS-CoV-2 isolates revealed that they belong to the 20B Nextstrain clade. Several nucleotide mutations were found in analysed samples compared to the reference Wuhan HU-1 strain and some of them were nonsynonymous.

Conclusion
We report the infection of mink with SARS-CoV-2 on one farm in Poland and the results of subsequent analysis of virus sequences from two isolates. These data can be useful for assessment of the epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in Poland and how it endangers public health.

Mink SARS-CoV-2 infection in Poland – short communication

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Mink SARS-CoV-2 infection in Poland \u2013 short communication"}

Introduction
Since April 2020, when the first SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in mink and subsequently in mink farm workers in the Netherlands, it has been...

Mink SARS-CoV-2 infection in Poland – short communication

Published Online: Mar 09, 2021

Page range: 1 - 5

Received: Feb 18, 2021

Accepted: Mar 01, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2021-0017

Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, WGS, Poland, mink

© 2021 K. Domańska-Blicharz et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mink SARS-CoV-2 infection in Poland – short communication

Published Online: Mar 09, 2021

Page range: 1 - 5

Received: Feb 18, 2021

Accepted: Mar 01, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2021-0017

KeywordsSARS-CoV-2, WGS, Poland, mink

© 2021 K. Domańska-Blicharz et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, WGS, Poland, mink