Avian Influenza. WHOA calls for a change in the concept of health for wild species.

Wildlife populations have declined significantly, including marine mammals in South America. Wildlife must be viewed as a potential risk to human and production animal health, but also “viewed as organisms worthy of protection in their own right.”

Montevideo | the whole field | Ownership claims are made by World Organization for Animal Health (WHOA) In a recent post on his website.

The leading global health agency notes that bird flu has spread from continent to continent, reaching Antarctica, and has also spread to mammals. He said categorically that a “new normal” had begun and that the disease was moving from wild birds to wild mammals, with an impact beyond anything seen before.

“Wildlife populations have declined significantly, including marine mammals in South America,” he said. “The current scale of wildlife loss poses an unprecedented risk of decimating wildlife populations, creating an ecological crisis.”

However, “there are strategies to better protect wildlife in the short and long term,” says the World Health Organization, which calls for “regarding wildlife as a potential risk to human and production animal health, but also as a health hazard in its own right.” Creatures that should be protected.” “.

Below is the full text of the WHOA article, titled “Wildlife threatened as avian flu arrives in Antarctica.”

Bird flu reaches Antarctica, wildlife threatened.

The ongoing spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has reached an unprecedented milestone, with recent reports of the virus being detected in Antarctica. The virus emerged in Europe in 2021 and has now spread across continents, reaching North America in the same year and South America in 2022. Most recently, it expanded to the Antarctic islands in 2023. However, As the situation penetrates to the northern end of the Antarctic continent, the situation becomes more serious.

This discovery was made through Argentinian scientists identify virus in Antarctic skuas Close to the Argentinian Antarctic research base Primavera. Skuas are large seabirds that breed in the subantarctic and Antarctic regions and are a vector of concern because they migrate north when not breeding.

Once considered a threat mainly to poultry, Highly pathogenic avian influenza has ushered in a “new normal” as the disease is spreading from wild birds to wild mammals, with an impact beyond anything seen before. Estimates vary, but according to final statistics, Since 2021, 485 bird species from more than 25 orders have been affected, and 37 new species of mammals have been infected..

only Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand remain free disease, but the situation is changing rapidly.

Outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza Wildlife populations have declined significantly, including marine mammals in South America.

But despite the challenges, There are strategies to better protect wildlife in the short and long term. These include preventing new poultry spills by improving biosecurity, implementing improved surveillance systems to report the epidemiology of the virus and benefit wildlife, and adopting a coordinated, interagency and multisectoral approach to responding to outbreaks in wildlife. For example, the WHO Wildlife Working Group has developed new guidance on emergency vaccination against highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds of high conservation importance and on the management of highly pathogenic avian influenza in marine mammals.

The current scale of wildlife loss has brought about an unprecedented risk of sharp decline in wildlife populations, causing an ecological crisis. WHOA encourages members Respond quickly and comprehensively to the avian influenza epidemic Highly pathogenic to wild animals, emphasizing Integrating wildlife health into animal health surveillance, notification, preparedness and response systems.

These efforts not only require Consider wildlife as a potential risk to human and production animal health, but also worthy of protection in its own right. OMSA emphasizes the importance of strong interagency coordination and drawing on diverse expertise to ensure transparency, fairness and mutual benefit in decision-making.