According to Senasa, how many people are there?

Senasa has prepared a report on the current status of sea lion mortality in Caicon and Mar del Plata, where sea lions are affected by avian influenza.

“from August 22, 2023 Reports began to indicate an increase in the number of deaths of fur seals (Otaria flavescens) belonging to the port colonies of Quacon and Mar del Plata.

“Given the recent history of positive cases highly pathogenic avian influenza– IAAP – In the colonies of Tierra del Fuego and Rio Negro, samples – swabs – were collected at the Senasa Central Laboratory and analyzed, from which positive results for H5 influenza were also obtained,” he said of the start of the campaign said…

“A few days later they were discovered There are signs and deaths of sea lions on beaches all along the Buenos Aires coast. Affected animals that were still alive were observed to exhibit neurological and respiratory clinical signs consistent with highly pathogenic avian influenza,” the text explains.

“because it is free moving animals – Wildlife – The Inter-Agency Working Group is made up of local government and non-governmental organizations, each working within its own sphere of influence; – Ports Alliance, National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service – SENASA-, National University of Mar del Plata-CONICET

-, Quequén Aquatic Biological Station, Argentine Naval Province-PNA-, Municipal Government-Environmental Management, Secretary of Production, Secretary of Security-Civil Defense-, Environment and Wildlife Guard-EMSUR-, Wildlife Foundation-FFS-, and Health District 8.

According to the report, working methods include the execution of Regular monitoring Port and beach settlements Buenos Aires Atlantic CoastWhen an animal with signs is detected, Mark the fence approximately 20 meters away from the animals And try to prevent crowd contact; when an animal dies, the city government or the port consortium will arrange the burial method according to the individual’s location. Since all wolves belonging to the same group in the area were treated, wolves that appeared later were considered positive due to epidemiological links. If any other species is detected, such as fur seals, elephant seals, fur seals, etc., if samples are collected to confirm or rule out a presumptive diagnosis of HPAI.

“The colony of baby sea lions in Puerto Kerken and Puerto Mar del Plata They are made up entirely of men of different agesMainly concentrated in the non-breeding season – mid-February and mid-December. During the breeding season – mid-December to mid-February – most of the animals in these colonies migrate to colonies in the Uruguay Islands and breeding colonies in Patagonia,” they explain.

Given the constant flow of animals between the two groups, they are biologically considered a unique set of specimens that alternate Settlement between two ports

. Due to their special life cycles, some animals rest in the harbor while others feed or move around in the sea, making the number of sea lions present in the area significantly higher than the number of animals that can be observed resting on dry land on a daily basis. There are currently approximately 4,000 individuals in the colony; About 200 people were found dead between August 22 and September 5so the estimated mortality rate is 5%,” they said.

Characteristics of avian influenza

The A H5N1 virus that has been circulating around the world since 2022 is a subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The first records in South America date back to Peru in late 2022, resulting in mass die-offs of wild birds and northern fur seals. from chile and peru. Argentina recorded its first bird case in February 2023.

Although HPAI viruses circulated widely among wild and domestic birds in many geographical areas and subsequently began to sea ​​lionThe few confirmed human cases are people who work on poultry farms affected by the disease and have very close and prolonged contact with sick animals. The virus is spread through the mouth and respiratory tract and is eliminated through secretions – saliva, mucus – and excreta – urine, feces -; it can survive in the environment for a limited time, depending on daily thermal oscillations, humidity, solar radiation, wind, etc., and for the beach we have to Plus the tide that does the “washing”. Viruses cannot survive in salt water,-ocean-.

It follows that coastal environments do not pose a risk to human health unless there is close contact with sick or recently deceased animals.

General advice to consider

– Avoid approaching the port colonies of Quican and Mar del Plata.

– Avoid direct contact with clinically symptomatic or dead sea lions due to the risk of transmission through sneezing, urine, feces, blood or other body fluids.

– Keep pets away from sea lions.

– Respect the preventive instructions of the Argentinian Navy Ministry and health authorities.

– Do not seek help from wildlife rehabilitation centers as sick specimens will not be removed to avoid infection from multiplying.

– If you see a neurologically symptomatic or dead sea lion in the coastal areas outside Quecon or Mar del Plata ports, please notify Senasa immediately: WhatsApp 11 5700 5704

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