VILNIUS -- COVID-19 infections have been detected at a mink farm in central Lithuania, the country's State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) said on Thursday.

At a mink farm in the Jonava district, 169 minks suddenly died and were subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, the VMVT said in a release.

Darius Remeika, director of the service, said that one farm employee was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and all those who had been in contact with him were now in self-isolation.

The virus "could have been transmitted to the minks by a farm worker," said Remeika, urging all mink farms in the country to adhere strictly to all biosecurity requirements.

Currently, the farm is home to around 60,000 minks. Around 40 infected animals will now be culled.

Lithuania has 86 mink farms with a total of 1.6 million minks. The country started testing mink farms earlier this month after COVID-19 cases in minks were reported in other European countries.

According to the Ministry of Health, Lithuania has to date confirmed 53,757 cases of COVID-19, with 449 deaths and 12,655 recoveries.

To bring life back to normal, countries including Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.