Denmark reports a MUTATED CORONAVIRUS has been detected in the country's mink population.

The mutation makes the virus capable of transmission between animals and humans.

Denmark now plans to destroy the entire population of mink -- some 17 million animals!

Of course, there's no way to know if the virus has infected other animals or even humans beyond the ones in the story.

Denmark, the world's largest producer of mink furs, plans to cull all mink in the country to
contain a mutated form of novel coronavirus.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday the decision had been made with a
"heavy heart," but it was necessary based on the recommendation of health authorities.

"The virus has mutated in mink. The mutated virus has spread to humans," Frederiksen
said.

Statens Serum Institut, the Danish authority based in Copenhagen which deals with infectious
diseases, had found five cases of the virus in mink farms and 12 examples in humans that
showed reduced sensitivity to antibodies, she said. Allowing the virus to spread could potentially
limit the effectiveness of future vaccines.

"We have a great responsibility towards our own population, but with the mutation that has now
been found, we have an even greater responsibility for the rest of the world as well," Frederiksen
said.

There are between 15 million and 17 million mink in Denmark, according to authorities. Outbreaks
of coronavirus at the country's mink farms have persisted despite repeated efforts to cull infected
animals since June.

One million mink within a five mile (8.4 kilometers) radius of suspected or confirmed farm infection
were destroyed in October. Denmark's police, army and home guard will be deployed to speed up
the culling process, Frederiksen said. Mink have also been culled in the Netherlands and Spain
after infections were discovered there.

The Chinese Wet Market shop owners were unavailable for comment.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/05/europe/denmark-mink-cull-coronavirus-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

That’s the scary part of biological threats - they mutate. If history has set any precedence, we know that Covid is only the beginning. We’ve already had to deal with Influenza, swine flu, bird flu, MERS, etc., but we’ve been lucky that the infection rates, death rate, and transmission method wasn’t as bad as covid. I’m convinced that covid is just the beginning as more diseases will adapt to our technologies. I really hope I’m wrong though.

That’s the scary part of biological threats - they mutate. If history has set any precedence, we know that Covid is only the beginning. We’ve already had to deal with Influenza, swine flu, bird flu, MERS, etc., but we’ve been lucky that the infection rates, death rate, and transmission method wasn’t as bad as covid. I’m convinced that covid is just the beginning as more diseases will adapt to our technologies. I really hope I’m wrong though.

You're not wrong.  Disease is just one club in Mother Nature's golf bag she uses to keep all populations within sustainable sizes -- including humans.

HIV was/is a "driver" -- taking out a huge number of people in a relatively short time, often by allowing other, often rare, diseases the ability to flourish in a comprised immune system.

Look at all the natural disasters: tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes. tornados, heat waves, blizzards, high winds, .... so many types of weather-related situations that wind up killing humans and other animals.

Heck, you could toss in mental illness.  Committing suicide or killing other people for this or that insane reason are just more "culling methods" Mother Nature throws at us.

Man has the advanced technology to counter most diseases we know of.  Still, there's no real way to prevent cancer.  All we can do is fight it when we find it in time.  Same for new viruses.  It takes time to learn of its weaknesses and capabilities.  Until we know, any meds we try on it could be making it stronger for all we know.  That's precisely how antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria evolved.

You're not wrong.  Disease is just one club in Mother Nature's golf bag she uses to keep all populations within sustainable sizes -- including humans.

HIV was/is a "driver" -- taking out a huge number of people in a relatively short time, often by allowing other, often rare, diseases the ability to flourish in a comprised immune system.

Look at all the natural disasters: tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes. tornados, heat waves, blizzards, high winds, .... so many types of weather-related situations that wind up killing humans and other animals.

Heck, you could toss in mental illness.  Committing suicide or killing other people for this or that insane reason are just more "culling methods" Mother Nature throws at us.

Man has the advanced technology to counter most diseases we know of.  Still, there's no real way to prevent cancer.  All we can do is fight it when we find it in time.  Same for new viruses.  It takes time to learn of its weaknesses and capabilities.  Until we know, any meds we try on it could be making it stronger for all we know.  That's precisely how antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria evolved.

Your comments made me think of the theory of symmetry in nature. It also made me think of Malcom’s comment in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way.”

As the human race has continuously found ways to extend our life span, nature has continuously acted to counteract it. Balance, I suppose.

As a father to a young child, I just hope things end up being okay eventually. I now know how my parents felt as they watched me grow up, and I hope that things blow over like they have in the past. Nevertheless, I’m taking the “Optimistic, but prepared” route. Trying at least.

Your comments made me think of the theory of symmetry in nature. It also made me think of Malcom’s comment in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way.”

As the human race has continuously found ways to extend our life span, nature has continuously acted to counteract it. Balance, I suppose.

As a father to a young child, I just hope things end up being okay eventually. I now know how my parents felt as they watched me grow up, and I hope that things blow over like they have in the past. Nevertheless, I’m taking the “Optimistic, but prepared” route. Trying at least.

Humans have one "curse" the rest of the animal kingdom do not:  we are cognizant of our own mortality.  We know that one day, we will be recycled into that "circle of life", and there is nothing we can do to prevent it.  All we can really do is postpone it as long as possible.

I like the Braveheart message William Wallace reiterated:  We all die.  It's only a matter of when and how.  It's one of the truest things I've ever seen out of Hollywood!   

According to Biden, millions of Americans died from COVID .... or hundreds of thousands .... he can't really remember.  I look at it as "these people's time was up."  If it wasn't from a virus, it was going to happen by some other means.  You can't cheat death. 

I'm always optimistic, but I temper it with reality, too.  As they say, plan for the worst and hope for the best.  Not much more you can be asked to do.

I think old age is another one of Mother Nature's "clubs".  If everyone had the capacity to live 200 or 300 years or more, overpopulation would be starving us to death.  Once the aging process stops repair of tissue, the body develops pains, aches, and "chronic conditions".  Even without disease, most would not want to go through another 50 years in the same condition they saw at 75.  I think most people have a notion that a longer life means your best years are also lengthened.  Medicine and technology helps, but you're not going into that second century with the body of a 25 year old!

Back to the symmetry and balance comments.  It's a common theme in most apocalyptic stories that the mass death of so many is nature's way of correcting an imbalance or other problem with the natural order.  Natural selection.

The dinosaurs were unavailable for comment.