by Reuters

Wednesday, 27 January 2021 13:06 GMT

STOCKHOLM, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Sweden will ban breeding of mink in 2021 to
prevent the risk of mutations of the coronavirus spreading to humans, the
government said on Wednesday.

Neighbour Denmark, one of the world’s biggest producers of fur for the
fashion industry, slaughtered its entire herd of around 17 million mink in
November after hundreds of farms suffered outbreaks of coronavirus and
authorities found mutated strains of the virus among people.

Sweden recorded coronavirus cases at several mink farms, although
authorities said in December the animals had not been found to carry the
mutated strain as evident in Denmark.

“In Sweden, the mutated virus has, luckily, not got into our mink farms,”
Financial Markets Minister Per Bolund told reporters at a news conference.
“But our mink industry remains a further risk factor that we need to
consider when it comes…