Mink-derived SARS-CoV-2 mutations reduce antibody effectiveness The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is thought to be a disease originally occurring in animals but transmitted across the species barrier to human beings, probably through an intermediate host. Following human infection, the virus has been shown to transmit to some pet and farm animals, where it then mutates. A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server shows that these mutations disrupt inhibition by neutralizing antibodies, both natural and therapeutic. History of mink SARS-CoV-2 infection The American mink is a profitable business focus, farmed for its fur in the Netherlands and many other countries. The first case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed mink on a Dutch farm was identified in April 2020. The application of whole-genome sequencing showed that the virus was acquired from humans.