Detection of new SARS-CoV-2 variants related to mink
Cornelia Adlhoch, Erik Alm, Julien Beauté, Eeva Broberg, Orlando Cenciarelli, Margot Einöder-Moreno, Catherine Fleming, Céline M Gossner, Kari Johansen, Gražina Mirinavičiūtė, Angeliki Melidou, Nathalie Nicolay, Diamantis Plachouras, Emily Scott, Ettore Severi, Therese Westrel, Kåre Mølbak, Aura Timen, Bas B. Oude Munnink, Marion Koopmans, Mia Brytting, Cavalieri, Marco, Schneider, Elke, Anette Boklund, Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Anette Bøtner, Alessandro Broglia, Nikolaus Kriz, Stede, Yves Van Der
Abstract
Since April 2020, when the first SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in the Netherlands in a mink and subsequently in a mink farm worker, it has been established that human-to-mink and mink-to-human transmission can occur [1]. Since then, infections in mink have been reported in Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United States [2]. On 5 November 2020, Denmark reported 214 human COVID-19 cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus variants related to mink, as well as infected mink at more than 200 mink farms. Most human and animal cases reported since June 2020 have been in the North Jutland Region. The SARS-CoV-2 variants detected in these cases were part of atleast five closely-related clusters; each cluster was characterised by a specific mink-related variant, identified in humans and animals from infected mink farms. Denmark has implemented robust response measures to control the<br/>outbreaks in mink and decrease the spill-over between the human and the animal reservoir. One of the clusters (Cluster 5), which was reported as circulating in August and September 2020, is related to a variant with four genetic changes, three substitutions and one deletion, in the spike (S) protein. Since the S protein contains the receptor-binding domain, and is a major target for immune response, such mutations could, in theory, have implications for viral fitness (ability to infect humans and animals), transmissibility, and antigenicity. As a consequence, the evolution of viruses with increasing changes in functional domains of the S protein could affect treatment, certain diagnostic tests and virus antigenicity. It could also have an impact on the effectiveness of<br/>developed vaccine candidates, and possibly require them to be updated. Investigations and studies are ongoing toclarify the extent of these possible implications