Dead sea lion found in Comodoro and Radha Tilly tests positive for bird flu

Germán Rezanowicz, regional coordinator for animal health at the SENASA Southern Patagonia Regional Center, confirmed on Monday that Sea lions from Comodoro Rivadavia and Rada Tilly found dead, tested positive for bird flu.

According to ADNSUR, Rezanovic assured that “Lab finds furry sea lion tests positive for influenza“.

“We found dead animals, but the advanced state of decomposition of the carcasses meant their death could not be reliably determined,” he said.

In this regard, he pointed out that “Swabs were taken from dead wolves between Saturday and Sunday – Not long ago – the laboratory results came back positive for avian influenza,” he confirmed.

“us We are already imagining it, since Puerto de Seado has tested positive, in addition to Caleta Olivia, Camarones, Puerto Madryn. We are caught in the middle, but now we do have positive results that avian influenza is spreading in our region,” said the regional coordinator for animal health.

He clarified, “In any case, whether the wolf is alive or dead, when we get a positive result for avian influenza, we have ruled out that the death was due to other causes.”

“If we found ourselves infected with avian influenza, the clinical symptoms would be alarming. In other cases where we have been notified of a wolf located at 4km, it was a disoriented young wolf and No manifestations of the disease were found.”

about Sea lions found in Comodoro and RadatiliRezanowicz clarified, “There are no more than 3 of these samples, but from the moment it turns out to be positive, there could be 50, which would be positive for us.”

This means, “When we talk about a disease with zoonotic potential, from the moment we get a positive result, all necessary precautions must be taken in case animals may ultimately cause the disease in humans .” He emphasized. .

Protective measures

“The idea is firstly to protect the workers who have to dispose of the carcasses and secondly to protect people who may be passing by where these animals may have died,” he insisted, asking “if you look, don’t get close, keep as far away as possible”, To avoid contagion, and then, “not spread the virus.”

“The disease emerged in Argentina in February this year and our experience – especially with livestock – is why SENASA exists, because the disease appears on farms and what is being dealt with is stopping the infection so it does not spread, We did that. In Patagonia, certain aviary farms were treated and it did not spread on the domestic circuit,” he explained.

For his part, in terms of wildlife, he noted that “it’s being spread through birds that may or may not have clinical signs or may be asymptomatic and transmit the disease to sea lions,” he said.

“When an infection occurs in a colony, some animals become sick and die, and these animals are distributed along the coast, while other animals maintain the disease and spread it. That is, they emerge from this infection process and produce Immunity. “This is the defense that the sea lion population has to face this non-existent virus,” he concluded.