Less than a week after the first case of avian flu in the country was confirmed, the National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (Senasa) confirmed three new positives in the provinces of Córdoba, Salta and Santa Fewhich is why concern is growing in the poultry sector.
In the last hours of Saturday, the agency indicated that the cases were detected in the Alejo Ledesma town in Cordoba and La Isla in Salta, from the department of Cerrillos. In addition, this Sunday he confirmed a new infection in the Santa Fe town of Villa Cañas. It is the first positive for both Salta and Santa Fe; while in Córdoba he is the second.
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According to a government statement, the detections on Saturday were in backyard turkeys (Córdoba) and a backyard chicken (jumps). “Detections were confirmed in analyzes carried out by the Senasa National Laboratory in samples taken from dead turkeys in Córdoba, and from a hen in the suburbs of Salta, both cases with positive results,” they reported.
Regarding the most recent case located in Santa Fe, the virus was found in backyard chickens and ducks. “The detection was confirmed in an analysis carried out by the Senasa National Laboratory on samples taken from dead chickens and ducks after a neighbor in the area notified the local Senasa office,” they detailed.
Last Wednesday the first case of avian influenza (AI) H5 was detected in Andean geese in the town of Pozuelos, in Jujuy. In this sense, on Thursday, February 16 The Ministry of Agriculture of the Nation declared a health emergency through Resolution 147/2023 due to the potential consequences for poultry activity.
Added to this, on Saturday morning the same flu was found in two mallards found dead in the Las Mojarras lagoon, in the Córdoba department of General San Martín.
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In the Resolution of the Secretary of Agriculture of the Nation, it was also clarified that during the migrations of wild birds in the spring and summer seasons towards the southern hemisphere, the H5 subtype of the virus was reported in Mexico, Panama, Honduras, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, Costa Rica, Chile, Bolivia and Uruguay.
Senasa’s measures against cases of bird flu
With this panorama, Senasa is coordinating surveillance actions with the National Parks Administration, the national ministries of Environment and Sustainable Development, Health, and Security, and the Directorate of Wildlife. Among other measures, border controls were activated, and surveillance of birds found in the surroundings of the sites where those that are migratory settled was accentuated. The agency has so far analyzed 67 samples of birds found dead.
In the province of CórdobaSenasa technicians and officials accompanied by personnel from the Environmental Police of the Provincial Coordination Ministry surveyed the facilities and conditions of the establishment where the animals with avian flu were found, which is interdicted.
In addition, the staff verified the general condition of the animals that were on the property and samples were taken for analysis. In turn, they delimited a perimeter around the property to rake and verify possible dead birds or those with symptoms compatible with the disease.
In Salta, Senasa interdicted the backyard establishment where the positive occurred and adopted sanitary actions. Likewise, in coordination with the Ministry of Production of the Province and personnel from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (Inta), a containment zone was established based on detection and epidemiologically related suspicions. Route controls were also reinforced in collaboration with the National Gendarmerie to delimit the area.
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although in Between rivers No cases were detected for the moment, within the framework of the national health emergency, Senasa continues with surveillance actions and reinforced controls on the border with Uruguay, given that a case of AI was registered in that country. In the entrances coming by land from the neighboring country, the disinsection of all vehicles was implemented, which is added to the luggage controls of travelers and commercial cargo.
In addition to this, Senasa carries out controls in the borders Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, where it verifies compliance with the requirements for commercial loads that are exported and imported. In addition, they control the luggage of incoming travelers to prevent them from entering with prohibited products such as live animals, products and by-products of animal or plant origin, reproductive and biological material without the corresponding certification.
“The fundamental objective of these actions is protect the animal health status of our primary source of production and the health of the population”, detailed from the Government in a statement.
Can bird flu affect people?
According to the Ministry of Health, “avian influenza is a viral disease that affects both poultry and wild birds, and may occasionally affect exposed personsbeing caused by multiple subtypes (H5N1, H5N3, H5N8, etc.) whose genetic characteristics evolve rapidly”.
In addition, the portfolio indicated that “people can acquire bird flu mainly through the direct contact with infected animals (alive or dead) or with their contaminated environments“, while “the transmission of the virus to people occurs when the secretions or droppings of infected birds are inhaled or the virus enters the mouth, nose or eyes”.
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“In turn, wild waterfowl are an important reservoir of influenza A viruses and poultry populations can be infected by contact with wild birds“, was explained.
They also pointed out that, for the moment, the disease is not transmitted to people through the consumption of poultry meat and its by-products. Therefore, there is no danger in the intake of these foods. They also reported that the risk of transmission to humans is low.
MB / ED
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