Denmark will cull its entire herd of mink due to the risk of coronavirus mutations, the country's prime minister said Wednesday.

The country's authorities have registered a mutation of the new coronavirus in mink, which has spread to humans, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a news conference.

"The mutated virus in mink may pose a risk to the effectiveness of a future vaccine," she said.

Outbreaks at mink farms have persisted in the Nordic country, the world's largest producer of mink skins, despite repeated efforts from authorities to cull infected herds since June.

More than 46 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and about 1.20 million​ have died.