The recent discovery of a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild mammals in Tierra del Fuego “has no impact” on the declaration of HPAI-free country issued this week by Argentina before the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA). , assure from the Epidemiology Coordination of the Animal Health Directorate (DSA) of the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa).
The detection of HPAI in seven of 21 one-haired sea lions that were found dead in Río Grande “does not have an impact on the declaration of a free country because it occurs in the commercial field and in the case of mammals, in wildlife,” They specified Télam from the agency.
“This event has no impact on the poultry health status of Argentina, in fact the self-declaration of a country free of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry continues in force,” the Epidemiology Coordination of the DSA of Senasa deepened.
The finding was made within the framework of surveillance actions and measures carried out throughout the country for the prevention of the disease, established by the declaration of emergency by HPAI (Senasa Resolution No. 147/2023) and with the objective to preserve the recent self-declaration of a country free of the disease in poultry (commercial circuit).
Likewise, Senasa highlighted that this is the first case of HPAI in mammals in the country, to which they clarified: “According to international experience, it has been observed that marine mammals can be susceptible to avian influenza and that, with low frequency , they can get infected.”
In this sense, the agency mentioned that “other positive cases have been reported in countries of the region, such as Peru and Chile, and in the latter country, in Puerto Williams, the appearance of a South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) with avian influenza in June of this year.
On the other hand, Senasa reported that “in order to guarantee the maintenance of the free country status, work is being done together with the provincial government and the municipality of Río Grande in a follow-up committee for the development of control and containment tasks in the affected area that guarantee that the event is restricted to a wild species”.
“We also continue to work with the different regions, together with national, provincial, municipal organizations and the productive sector, since the state of alert is maintained in the face of the behavior of the disease and its forms of transmission and dissemination,” he concluded.
Source: Ambito
