At the threshold of a new summer season, tourism authorities and entrepreneurs observe with concern the spread of the virus along the coasts.
The government observes with caution and warns the advance of the bird flu in sea lions in Uruguay, due to the effects that a large outbreak can have on the health situation and the economy of the country: in addition to the possibility of infections in people, as well as in birds – which multiply the circulation of the virus and put the poultry production sector at risk – there is now also the concern for How can avian influenza affect tourism?.
“We are attentive to the issue and with concern,” said the Minister of Tabare Viera Tourism to El Observador, within the framework of the lunch of the Association of Marketing Managers of Uruguay (ADM). The point is that sea lions are part of the tourist attraction of the Uruguayan coasts, so the advance of bird flu in this species can bring complications for tourism, at the doors of a new summer season.
Among businessmen in sectors linked to nautical tourism—and the nautical sector, in general—this situation raises alarm bells, to the point of pointing out that if avian flu spreads in Punta del Este “it is as if another Covid were coming”due to the impact it will have on the activity.
For now, the only measure that has been taken in this regard was the fencing of the Port of Punta del Este to prevent people from approaching the animals, in the presence of confirmed cases in that population of sea lions —without knowing precisely the level of reach of the virus among the specimens.
Likewise, from the National Directorate of Aquatic Resources (Dinara) They assured that the current situation of bird flu This is not something to be “alarmed” yet, since there is less wolf mortality than on other occasions without the existence of influenza. However, today animals will be swabbed on Isla de Lobos, where a colony of around 250,000 specimens lives—the largest South America—, given the confirmation of some cases.
Then, the organization will go to Cabo Polonio for a general tour.
New cases on the Gold Coast
Meanwhile, a team from the Canelones Municipality together with Dinara, found at least three new cases of bird flu among the population of penguins, wolves and sea lions of Gold Coast, where the authorities were swabbing due to suspected infections. One of the positive cases was found in Shangrila, while the other two, in Pinewood.
Likewise, in Rocha At least 12 dead or sick sea lions appeared on the coast. At the moment there are seven confirmed cases by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP).
Source: Ambito
