Brazil: more than 500 sea lions and sea lions die from bird flu

2023-10-26 04:43:39

Hundreds of corpses washed up on the seashore, the spectacle is distressing. More than 500 sea lions and sea lions have been found dead on the coasts of southern Brazil, according to a new report from local authorities, who attribute this massacre to avian flu.

“So far, we have counted 552 marine mammals (dead) in different places on the coast,” said the Secretariat of Agriculture of the State of Rio Grande do Sul in a press release. On Friday, the only town of Santa Vitoria Palmar, located in the same state, revealed that it had found the remains of 164 sea lions and sea lions.

The first outbreak of avian flu in marine mammals was identified in early October at Cassino, another beach in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. Most of the dead marine mammals in southern Brazil were found near the border with Uruguay, where authorities reported in September the discovery of nearly 400 corpses of sea lions and sea lions, the deaths of which were also attributed to avian flu.

Stay away from dead bodies

According to local authorities, however, there is “no risk for the consumption of poultry or eggs” produced in Brazil. Brazil therefore maintains its status as a “disease-free” country, because “no commercial production has been affected” so far, according to the government.

Although cases of human infections are rare, Brazilian authorities have nevertheless recommended that the population not approach the remains of marine mammals and keep their pets away. Peru, Chile and Argentina have also reported deaths in their marine flora attributed to the virus, which causes serious muscular, neurological and respiratory damage.