TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational and environmental exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in and around infected mink farms
AU - De Rooij, Myrna M.T.
AU - Hakze-van der Honing, Renate W.
AU - Hulst, Marcel M.
AU - Harders, Frank
AU - Engelsma, Marc
AU - Van De Hoef, Wouter
AU - Meliefste, Kees
AU - Nieuwenweg, Sigrid
AU - Oude Munnink, Bas B.
AU - Van Schothorst, Isabella
AU - Sikkema, Reina S.
AU - Van Der Spek, Arco N.
AU - Spierenburg, Marcel
AU - Spithoven, Jack
AU - Bouwstra, Ruth
AU - Molenaar, Robert Jan
AU - Koopmans, Marion
AU - Stegeman, Arjan
AU - Van Der Poel, Wim H.M.
AU - Smit, Lidwien A.M.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Objective: Unprecedented SARS-CoV-2 infections in farmed minks raised immediate concerns regarding transmission to humans and initiated intensive environmental investigations to assess occupational and environmental exposure. Methods: Air sampling was performed at infected Dutch mink farms, at farm premises and at nearby residential sites. A range of other environmental samples were collected from minks' housing units, including bedding materials. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was analysed in all samples by quantitative PCR. Results: Inside the farms, considerable levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were found in airborne dust, especially in personal inhalable dust samples (approximately 1000-10 000 copies/m3). Most of the settling dust samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (82%, 75 of 92). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in outdoor air samples, except for those collected near the entrance of the most recently infected farm. Many samples of minks' housing units and surfaces contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Conclusions: Infected mink farms can be highly contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This warns of occupational exposure, which was substantiated by considerable SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in personal air samples. Dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 to outdoor air was found to be limited and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in air samples collected beyond farm premises, implying a negligible risk of environmental exposure to nearby communities. Our occupational and environmental risk assessment is in line with whole genome sequencing analyses showing mink-to-human transmission among farm workers, but no indications of direct zoonotic transmission events to nearby communities.
AB - Objective: Unprecedented SARS-CoV-2 infections in farmed minks raised immediate concerns regarding transmission to humans and initiated intensive environmental investigations to assess occupational and environmental exposure. Methods: Air sampling was performed at infected Dutch mink farms, at farm premises and at nearby residential sites. A range of other environmental samples were collected from minks' housing units, including bedding materials. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was analysed in all samples by quantitative PCR. Results: Inside the farms, considerable levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were found in airborne dust, especially in personal inhalable dust samples (approximately 1000-10 000 copies/m3). Most of the settling dust samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (82%, 75 of 92). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in outdoor air samples, except for those collected near the entrance of the most recently infected farm. Many samples of minks' housing units and surfaces contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Conclusions: Infected mink farms can be highly contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This warns of occupational exposure, which was substantiated by considerable SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in personal air samples. Dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 to outdoor air was found to be limited and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in air samples collected beyond farm premises, implying a negligible risk of environmental exposure to nearby communities. Our occupational and environmental risk assessment is in line with whole genome sequencing analyses showing mink-to-human transmission among farm workers, but no indications of direct zoonotic transmission events to nearby communities.
KW - air pollution
KW - COVID-19
KW - environment
KW - farmers
KW - viruses
U2 - 10.1136/oemed-2021-107443
DO - 10.1136/oemed-2021-107443
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85111890283
SN - 1351-0711
VL - 78
SP - 893
EP - 899
JO - Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JF - Occupational and Environmental Medicine
IS - 12
ER -
