Post by Wageningen University & Research

🦠 What happens in the lungs of mink before COVID-19 symptoms appear? “Deep inside the lungs, damage is already unfolding before the first signs of illness appear,” says Sandra Vreman of Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. Researchers from Wageningen University & Research tracked how the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) develops and spreads in mink, often before it becomes clinically visible. Even animals that appeared healthy already showed clear signs of lung damage. Mink mirror key aspects of human infection. The virus targets the respiratory system, causing similar patterns of damage and immune responses. At the same time, important differences emerge. For example, mink did not develop the blood clots or long-term lung scarring often seen in humans. “These contrasts are just as valuable,” says Vreman. “They help us understand which disease processes are universal and which are shaped by species-specific biology.” Understanding animal disease is not separate from protecting human health. It is part of the same system, the essence of the One Health approach. #OneHealth #COVID-19 #WageningenUniversity