Two poultry farms in Argentina, one in Mar del Plata and the other in Río Negro, reported the death of more than 200,000 chickens infected with avian influenza (AI) H5, 2, according to sources from the National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (Senasa). to Clarín and Infobae.
In Río Negro, the deaths were reported in the town of Maniqué. According to the mayor Miguel Petricio, 200,000 broiler chickens died, including those infected and those that had to be slaughtered for sanitary reasons, according to what was compiled by Clarín.
This information was also confirmed by Senasa. As reported, there were 10 sheds in the town, with 20,000 specimens located in each one. None of the animals managed to avoid death.
On the other hand, in Mar del Plata the sport came from a farm located in La Polola, near Route 88. There, 20,000 specimens were slaughtered. As reported, only 20 to 30 birds could be saved.
The veterinarian Fernando Navarra, from Avicultores Mar y Sierras (Avimars), declared in dialogue with LU6 Radio Atlántica that it is not a brand from Mar del Plata, but rather “rented the sheds.”
“Samples were made, and even the birds that are alive were sent to Buenos Aires. We are working and conducting rakes in the area,” said Senasa, according to Clarín.
This week four positive cases of avian influenza had been confirmed, two of them in birds from commercial farms and two from backyards.
They were reported in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Neuquén, Chaco and Santa Fe, bringing the total number of detections of the disease to 40 so far in Argentina.
What is bird flu
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 is a variant that severely affects birds and can cause death.
In the last two years, the disease has spread in Japan and Europe, and among the countries of the American continent, in addition to Argentina, cases have already been detected in Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay.
The virus is transmitted especially between birds. Infections in humans are less frequent – there were only 868 cases between January 2003 and November 2022 worldwide – and it does not spread easily from person to person, according to the World Health Organization.
However, rigid measures were established in the health and commercial sectors against it since, like all influenza, it can mutate and modify both its danger and its transmissibility.
In the case of humans, in general, the source of contagion is contact with a living or dead sick bird or through surfaces contaminated with saliva, mucosa or bird feces. In no case is it transmitted through the consumption of meat, eggs and their by-products.
According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, the fundamental care measures are frequent hand washing with soap and water or the use of alcohol-based disinfectants.
In addition, contact with wild birds should be avoided, especially if they are dead or appear to be sick.
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