Bird flu in Mexico: Authorities say eating chicken, eggs is safe

Of the avian influenza cases registered in Mexico, National Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality Service (Senasica) ensure Influenza A H5 It does not pose any risk to humans other than sacrificing sick animals to prevent the virus from spreading to other farms.

In addition, health authorities ensure that consumption chicken and eggs They are safe because affected farms have been quarantined to prevent their products from being diverted.

this Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sadr) He noted that commercial and domestic producers must strengthen on-farm biosecurity measures to protect the country’s poultry production.

Sadr technicians conducted epidemiological investigations in the city at the national level Cayem (Sonora)transmission of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) AH5 was detected in a second commercial layer farm.

The agricultural production unit is only 3 kilometers away from the first farm where the AH5 virus was confirmed, and 90,000 poultry on the farm have been eradicated.

Immediately, technical staff from the Mexico-U.S. Committee for the Prevention of Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Other Exotic Animal Diseases (CPA) began to implement corresponding epidemic prevention measures.

To this end, the DGSA announced corresponding quarantine measures and started the extermination, cleaning and disinfection of poultry production units (UPAs), which has 54,000 poultry.

Sadr believes there is a need for health protocols for people entering the farms where chicken and eggs are produced.

In principle, staff must take a shower before entering the farm, change from home clothes to work clothes, and repeat the above procedures when leaving the unit.

In addition, they must clean and disinfect all vehicles; use sanitary mats at the main entrance and in each chicken house, and inspect flocks daily to identify birds with suggestive clinical signs.

They must prevent access to people outside the UPA and strictly scrutinize their facilities to ensure there are no spaces where wild birds and pest animals can enter.

All of these are a set of measures that make up the biosecurity practices that must be used to protect national poultry production.

To help protect chicken and egg production, Senasica invites producers, veterinarians and the public to immediately report any suspicious conditions they observe.

According to experts, the risk of the avian influenza virus spreading to humans is very low, although the chances of people coming into contact with affected animals (in this case farm workers, chicken and egg production) are increased.

If humans become infected with this type of influenza, symptoms include a mild respiratory infection in addition to cough and fever.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common symptoms in cases of avian influenza virus infection.

In more severe cases, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or, in extreme cases, death may occur.