RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 SARS-CoV-2 mutations among minks show reduced lethality and infectivity to humans
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.12.23.424267
DO 10.1101/2020.12.23.424267
A1 Tomokazu Konishi
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/12/27/2020.12.23.424267.abstract
AB SARS-CoV-2 infection in minks has become a serious problem, as the virus may mutate and reinfect humans; some countries have decided to cull minks. Here, the virus sequencing data in minks were analysed and compared to those of human-virus. Although the mink-virus maintained the characteristics of human-virus, some variants rapidly mutated, adapting to minks. Some mink-derived variants infected humans, which accounted for 40% of the total SARS-CoV-2 cases in the Netherlands. These variants appear to be less lethal and infective compared to those in humans. Variants that have mutated further among minks were not found in humans. Such mink-virus might be suitable for vaccination for humans, such as in the case of the smallpox virus, which is less infective and toxic to humans.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.