Health officials have ordered the killing of more than 92,000 mink on a farm in Spain following an outbreak of coronavirus which has affected staff and animals.
The drastic decision has been taken in Teruel to "protect the health of local people".
Aragon's regional government says there has been "a massive transmission between the mink so high that it has been decided to sacrifice all of them".
Tests have shown that the infection rate among the mink had reached 87 per cent.
The farm is in the small town of La Puebla de Valverde, which is 25 kilometres from the capital Teruel.
"The measure has been adopted after considering a possible cross-contagion between humans and animals or vice versa. It is a hypothesis, although we cannot provide certainties," said Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Joaquín Olona.
At a press conference today, he said there was no reason to generate alarm but there was a "high degree of uncertainty in which this virus places us" and for which "such a drastic measure" has been decided.
"We have to eliminate any risk," he said.
Aragon's health department says the mink show no signs of il-health but thousands of the animals have been tested positive on the farm where seven workers were confirmed to have caught coronavirus about six weeks ago. They became infected from a visitor to the farm.
They believe mink is the one species which can contract COVID-19 although scientists have previously raised the issue over whether cats or dogs can get it from their owners or transmit it to them.
At one stage just a few weeks ago, only 30 mink were tested positive but this figure has rapidly escalated.
Agricultural chiefs say the euthanasia of the animals is going to be a very complex and delicate operation "given the scale of the infection and the need to be very careful so that the slaughter and elimination of the 92,700 mink do not carries a risk of contagion".
This is the only mink farm in Aragon which will suffer a massive economic loss. It has not been operational since mid-May and has been on a major lockdown. The regional government says the farm has followed all the health and safety regulations meticulously.
