Fear of bird flu spreading among sea lions: they close an area of ​​Puerto Mar del Plata due to new cases

right sea ​​lion mass die-offAs the country’s s increases over time, so does the sum of the results bird flu positive.It so happened that in the last hours the National Health and Food Quality Service detected New cases – Buenos Aires and Chubut – and confirm that they have Five provinces in Argentina are affected by the disease. in conversation database, from Senasa They pointed out that this is a outbreak They acknowledged that complaints about suspected infected animals had multiplied.

southern town pyramid port and silver sea is the region to be added to the list of sick mammals detected with H5 influenza. In the latter, local authorities have implemented a series of measures to prevent possible infection. Between these, Close to the Sea Lion Walk on the Port’s South Breakwaterthe largest colony of this species is located in the aforementioned hot spring city.

The cases were added to the first detected a few days ago, when dead sea lions suddenly appeared on different coasts, sparking alarm and leading to tests and an autopsy to determine the cause of death.they are registered in Rio Grande, Tierra del Fuego; Punta Bermeja, Rio Negro; Necochea, Buenos Aires; and Puerto Loyola, Santa Cruz.

In this sense, the national health agency confirmed to this media that there are respiratory disease outbreak And the observed case beyond expectation. “We received approx. 10 notifications per day Dead species found. Before we had almost none. Maybe one or the other came to the fauna very sporadically,” says Paola Amiotti, a Senasa veterinarian who works in the field of animal health at the Buenos Aires Regional Center.

Aside from the number of complaints about sea lion deaths, epidemiologists note that it’s not an issue right now. “The situation is extremely serious.” Likewise, they stress that the likelihood of bird flu spreading to humans is low, as it can only happen If in direct contact with infected carcasses or handling sick animals.

“OK The death toll is higher than the average for this time of year and people are more sensitive as the virus spreads And some worrisome news, which they pay more attention to and inform; they usually don’t. Other than these cases, almost no one pays attention to the wildlife that dies on the beach,” he assured the outlet.

Amiotti added on the current situation: “What we are going through is Bird flu outbreak in sea lions. When a sea lion is detected showing signs of being compatible with this flu, a fence is constructed to keep the sea lion from approaching it and to monitor it. Some returned to the water after a few days as they survived, while others died. When this happens, it is advisable to bury them in the same spot or as close together as possible, always just behind the high tide line. We cover it with quicklime and cover them. “

The results of samples from sea lions found on the coasts of Mar del Plata and Chubut in recent days, the last confirmed positive cases, indicate that the bird flu epidemic is expanding in the country.Regarding them, Senasa issued a statement stating that the recently discovered “They do not affect self-declared animal health status” Argentina is recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA) as a country free of HPAI in poultry.

Likewise, the agency assured that it “continues to maintain a state of vigilance in cooperation with the different regions and with national, provincial and municipal organizations and production sectors, taking into account the behavior of the disease and the forms in which it spreads and spreads”.

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