The Environment Agency of Catamarca warns that different national and provincial organizations are working together under “strict protocols” in the face of the emergence of avian influenza, which affects the province of Antofagasta de la Serrapuno. of 54 lesser flamingos (a species known as parinas), located on the border with neighboring Chile.
Since the beginning of November, Catamarca Environment Agency, Senasa and other local organizations have been working together to prevent the death of these avian influenza animals in the province of Antofagasta de la Serapuno.
Faced with this situation, the trans-Andean country “has intensified epidemiological surveillance in the highland areas of Arica and the regions of Parinacota, Tarapacá and Antofagasta, monitoring wetlands, salt flats and Birds in various water bodies, so far reported by the Chilean Agriculture and Livestock Agency (SAG), have not been found to be sick or suspected of being infected with the virus.
Carlos Barrionuevo, Director of Environmental Management of Catamarca, said in conversation with Télam: “We know what happened from the reports of our personnel stationed in the town of El Penon, who were in Laguna during a visit Rand, they found dead small parinas species,” he said.
In this sense, the official said, “We counted 40 dead specimens in Grand Lake, and then continued to the northeast, and in the deepest part of the Caldera Caldera, where Diamante Lake is located, we found another 14 dead specimens were collected.”
Barrionuevo in turn explained that given the situation, “we have initiated a protocol together with the executive agency Senasa to determine whether it is possible to detect the presence of avian influenza.”
The official explained: “The samples were sent to Buenos Aires and on November 2, Senasa reported that three of the six samples taken for the baby parinas tested positive for H5 poultry Flu positive.”
In this sense, Barrio Nuevo noted that after the presence of the virus was confirmed, “we initiated protocols that included restrictions on the location, while we were in Laguna Grande and Laguna Diaman Water samples were specially collected to determine parameters and carried for physical and chemical studies,” said.
He also noted, “In addition, there are restrictions on animals that are close to death and we have established what is called the Provincial Animal Health Committee, which we did not meet last week,” he said.
The Provincial Committee for Animal Health includes the Secretariat of the Environment, the departments of the Secretariat of the Environment, the Ministry of Health, the security forces (Catamarca Police and the National Gendarmerie), the Municipality of Antofagasta and Senasa technical personnel. .
“So far, after interactions with all organisms, we have had no further deaths and no dead specimens. Let us hope that this will continue,” comments Barrio Nuovo.
Regarding the reason why the virus appears to cause the death of birds, Barrio Nuovo explained that it is the product of multiple causes and effects.
“In the veterinary hide we found many of the dead animals in very poor body condition with poorly developed muscles. We think the most likely hypothesis is that this was due to poor body condition due to malnutrition, insufficient food supply at the wintering site, mixed with the virus together, and the virus is common in wild birds,” the biologist commented.
Finally, Barrio Nuovo noted that “the situation is still in a state of epidemiological alarm and we are all observing the behavior of the lagoon and other birds.” (Teram).