Medical staff work at a mink farm in a village near Kartuzy, northern Poland. EPA
Medical staff work at a mink farm in a village near Kartuzy, northern Poland. EPA
Medical staff work at a mink farm in a village near Kartuzy, northern Poland. EPA
Medical staff work at a mink farm in a village near Kartuzy, northern Poland. EPA

Polish mink Covid-19 strain 'can pass to humans'


Nicky Harley
  • English
  • Arabic

A strain of coronavirus discovered in mink in Poland can infect humans, the Polish government said.

Poland's agricultural ministry said on Saturday that the variant found in mink on a farm in the north of the country can be transmitted from mink to humans and humans to animals.

The strain was found last month at farm in Kartuzy county, about 30 kilometres west of Gdansk,  in what officials said was the first such case in Poland, raising fears of costly culls in an industry that has more than 350 farms.

"Data obtained from the chief sanitary inspectorate and last year's experiences in Denmark and the Netherlands clearly indicate that also in Poland, this virus can spread from mink to humans and vice-versa," the ministry said.

Denmark's entire herd of about 17 million mink, one of the world's largest, was ordered to be culled in November after hundreds of farms suffered outbreaks of coronavirus, and authorities found mutated strains of the virus among people.

In August, the Netherlands decided to order the closure of more than 100 mink farms after several employees contracted the coronavirus.

Following the discovery of the virus at the farm in Kartuzy county, Polish authorities said all mink there would be culled.

In Denmark, the mink cull became a national scandal, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in tears when she apologised for the government's mishandling of the crisis.

The cull was ordered when it was thought the mink outbreak could jeopardise the effectiveness of future vaccines.

But a few days after the cull began, the government was forced to admit it did not have enough legal basis to order the kill.

Its woes are still far from over after an environmental study revealed groundwater near the burial pits could quickly become contaminated.

Last month, British scientists said vaccinating pets against the coronavirus could be necessary to stop the spread.

EA Sports FC 26

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The President's Cake

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Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

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Uefa Nations League

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How to apply for a drone permit
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'The Ice Road'

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
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2/5

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster

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