Avian influenza: epidemiological surveillance was reinforced to prevent the virus from entering Argentina

Upon detection of nervous, respiratory, digestive clinical signs, decreased egg production, water or food consumption, or the discovery of dead domestic and/or wild birds, any person can notify Senasa

The National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (Senasa) ordered to reinforce epidemiological surveillance in the north of the country to prevent the entry of avian influenza (AI), following the detection of the disease in the Cochabamba department, in the central region from Bolivia.

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Bird flu or bird flu (also known as chicken flu) is an illness caused by certain types of viruses that normally infect wild birds and poultry, such as chickens. During 2022, outbreaks in birds have been reported mainly in the European and American Regions.

Argentina has not registered cases of bird flu in animals or people so far. But there are outbreaks of the infection in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela and in recent days it has been detected in Bolivia. Given the risk of introducing the virus, Senasa declared a state of “preventive health alert” throughout the country last year.

The measure was made to prevent highly pathogenic avian influenza from entering the country, as reported in Resolution 803/2022 of Sensasa.

Bolivia reported two outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, in the center of the country over the weekend, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) reported on Tuesday. One outbreak was found in a laying hen farm with 35,000 birds and the other in a backyard with 202 birds for domestic consumption, including ducks, geese and chickens, the Paris-based agency said, citing information from Bolivian health authorities.

Resolution 803 also establishes the need to reinforce and respect biosecurity measures on poultry production farms.

According to Senasa, its Bolivian peer body, the National Agricultural Health and Food Safety Service (Senasag), declared a health emergency in the Cochabamba department this weekend after detecting high mortality in laying birds and backyard birds. . The measure was adopted while awaiting the confirmatory laboratory results of the analyzes of the samples taken from the affected animals.

Within this framework, Senasa decided to strengthen its prevention actions in the jurisdictions of its North NOA regional centers, which includes the provinces of Salta and Jujuy, and also Chaco-Formosa. “Among the measures adopted by the Senasa authorities, as part of the actions promoted within the framework of the preventive alert in force in the country, include the mobilization of specialized agents from its National Directorate of Animal Health and from other regions, to the offices located on the border with Bolivia in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy; continue to raise awareness, through direct information to the population and the productive sector, about the importance of reporting the discovery of birds with symptoms and deaths (whether they are production, backyard or wild), reinforce biosecurity on commercial farms, and continue working together with other public entities in the surveillance and control of the movement of birds, products and by-products of birds”, reported the official body.

Senasa specified that, given the cases of AI registered in North America and due to the migratory route of wild birds to the south, it ordered the health alert in December 2022, through Resolution 803 and maintains surveillance actions to prevent the entry of AI into Argentina, which is recognized as a free country and, in the event of a potential detection, act quickly with mitigation measures that prevent its dispersion in the country. Links and joint work with National Parks and the Wildlife Directorate for permanent surveillance of wild birds were also strengthened.

Avian influenza or influenza (also known as chicken flu) is an illness caused by certain types of viruses that normally infect wild birds and poultry, such as chickens.

In this sense, in Jujuy two notifications were received for findings of dead birds in Laguna de los Pozuelos, which subsequent laboratory analysis ruled out AI.

Public dissemination about the importance of notifying suspicions about the disease has allowed an increase in the number of analyzes of bird samples received at the National Laboratory of the agency. All of them, so far, have yielded negative results to the presence of AI. These measures have the support and accompaniment of national and provincial entities.

Resolution 803 also establishes the need to reinforce and respect biosecurity measures on poultry production farms.

Senasa reported that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affects both poultry and wild birds. Waterfowl and shorebirds are considered the natural reservoirs of these viruses and do not usually get sick, although this seems to be changing since mortality in these species has been detected related to the presence of the H5N1 virus, which is the highly pathogenic variant of the H5N1 virus. avian influenza.

For its early detection, notification to Senasa of any of the following clinical symptoms is required:

Wild birds

-Mortality mainly in migratory, sea and raptor birds.

-Birds with depression.

-Incoordination

-tremors

-Respiratory problems

-Diarrhea and facial edema

During 2022, outbreaks in birds have been reported mainly in the Regions of Europe and America

Poultry

-High mortality

-Respiratory symptoms: cough, panting, runny nose

-Neurological symptoms: tremors, circular movements, torticollis

-Reduction in egg production greater than 5% for more than two days

-Reduction in feed and water intake greater than 20%

Notification channels to Senasa

Upon detection of nervous, respiratory, digestive clinical signs, decreased egg production, water or food consumption, or the discovery of dead domestic and/or wild birds, any person can notify Senasa, through the following channels: personally or by calling their offices; through the “Senasa Notifications” app, available in the Play Store; by sending an email to [email protected] and, in the “Notify Senasa” section of the website.

The agency specified that the measures were adopted after a meeting between the president and the vice president of Senasa, Diana Guillén and Rodolfo Acerbi, together with the chief of staff of the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Nation (SAGPyA), Juan Manuel Fernández Arocena, and authorities and professionals from the National Animal Health Departments (DNSA); Food Safety and Quality (DNICA) and Operations (DNO); the General Directorate of Laboratory; from the Noa Norte Regional Center, representatives of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), in addition to the coordination of International Relations and Institutional Communication.

The National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) ordered to reinforce epidemiological surveillance in the north of the country

The group of officials and experts evaluated the situation in the country and, in particular, on the border with Bolivia, and preventive actions were outlined.

Senasa recalled that “keeping the poultry sector free of diseases is a shared responsibility that benefits the entire country” for which it insisted on the need to report suspected cases.

Keep reading

What is avian flu and why did they declare a preventive alert in Argentina? Is avian flu the next threat to human health in America? Two new cases of avian flu were detected in northern Chile

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