A dozen sea lions have been found dead or showing symptoms of bird flu between the El Cóndor Spa and Punta Bermeja de Viedma nature reserves on the Rio Negro, the environment and climate change minister said. and information from local councils.
Fabián Llanos, Rio Negro’s undersecretary for the environment and climate change, declared that restricting the use of Punta Bermeja beach was a precautionary principle because “we don’t know what the spread of this virus is.” How did that evolve,” noting that, under the Senasa protocol, the recommendation for animal carcasses is burial.
According to official reports, the infection affecting the Otaria flavescens species (one-haired sea lion) is considered highly pathogenic.
In recent days, dozens of sea lions have been found dead in the port of Necochea, in the city of Buenos Aires, and professionals from the National Food Sanitation and Quality Service (Senasa) are today trying to determine whether this was due to possible poultry caused by influenza infection.
Also in Tierra del Fuego, the death of 21 sea lions was reported and at least seven were confirmed to be infected with bird flu, prompting the provincial government to put up posters to prevent people from entering the coastal sanctuary in the city of Rio Grande.
Authorities advise “not to enter the affected beach areas as avoiding contact with these areas will help reduce the risk of contagion.”
In addition, it is recalled that it is forbidden to bring pets to the beach because “the contact of domestic animals with the virus is very dangerous and facilitates the spread of the virus.”
Additionally, they recommend keeping a safe distance and avoiding direct contact “to minimize the chance of virus transmission if sea lions are seen or dead birds are found.”
Source: Telam