Sea lions infected with bird flu, SENASA faces new challenges

The escalating outbreak of bird flu has affected not only the sea lion habitat in Mar del Plata, but also sea lions in Necochea.

Director of SENASA Regional Center South of Buenos Aires Manuel Baldovino receive i can fish Learn more about the current situation and what to expect in the next few days.

“Both SENASA and Civil Defense patrolled all beaches for new presences and to track sea lions that were already sick. What happened was that we had 50 notifications from the same wolf because there was no clear way to identify them.”first tell us the veterinarian doctor.

Once a dead specimen is found, where is it buried? Always consider possible postmortem contagion.

If these places do not have public access, then the ideal option is the same beach. Since our beach is very touristy they were moved to an already designated place where there is a pit and everything is hygienic to sanitize the area and avoid contact especially with birds and those dead wolves.

Right now we have outbreaks in sea lions but not in birds which is a good thing but at some point it will come because the transmission is through migratory birds and now in the spring and summer they will come as usual . So we’re definitely going to do that and we’re going to have some other focus on the birds, but I reiterate, we’re not there yet.

Are wolf packs in danger in Mar del Plata? Can we talk about the disappearance of specimens here by death?

This has happened in other countries, not 100% of the wolves are dead, but a lot depends on immunity. These migrating wolves are underweight, malnourished, and, because they have very low immunity, are more susceptible to infection than they can survive.

Did you spot any patterns in how they were affected? eg size, age? Are the symptoms still the same as when they were transmitted?

They are all of the same species, both are males, and the visible signs are abundant respiratory, nasal and saliva production. As the disease progresses, breathing difficulties are notorious. We also observed catatonic symptoms, such as seizures or lack of coordination.

We have so many affected wolves because in Mar del Plata and Necochea we have the largest wolf populations.

Where were samples taken to prove infection with the so-called bird flu?

We took swabs at the entrance to the South Breakwater at Los Lobos Beach and at the TPA Shipyard where a symptomatic individual was identified. We also sampled in Necochea. All cases in this department have been considered positive due to epidemiological links, considering that they belong to the same community.

If they had died or had symptoms, they would not be swabbed again, but treated as if they were suspected of flu and followed the whole isolation protocol, and in the case of death, he would treat them as if they were flu. He is positive.

Are people working on the ship safe? Which of Pier 10 is closer to where the animals rest?

he is working on that part Paola Amioti, from SENASA Animal Health Field. She got together with the captain and the fishermen because they asked us what happens when they spread their nets and let the wolves be there.

We show them what must be done. They are often the same hygiene measures we have learned about COVID-19. Personal hygiene, hands, clothes.

When it comes to unloading, what we do is, if there are wolves present when unloading, we call in people from the Argentinian animal foundation to remove it, do all the cleaning of the whole place, and only then do we get authorization to unload the product.

What substances do you use for cleaning?

water and bleach, which is an authorized sanitizing method to eliminate. This is a virus that is easily eliminated with any cleaning product.

Most worrisome, beyond the empathy these animals can elicit, what are the contagious possibilities in humans?

You want to try to avoid direct contact, which is why animals are quarantined. It may be zoonotic, which means the virus may affect humans. So far I think there are only four cases in the world and that’s it, because of direct and prolonged contact. They are people who work on poultry farms in other countries.

Let’s also say, just to keep them calm, in every outbreak of bird flu detected, there have been cases of backyard bird (NdR: poultry) flu.

For the commercial birds, we followed everyone up with the Department of Health or the municipal health ministers to see if there was anything consistent with the flu. There are no cases of suspected infection and no deaths of pets. If all measures, all recommendations are taken, there should be no concerns.

All these measures are taken because we may be carriers of the virus. Maybe we stepped on something where we shouldn’t or on the clothes themselves and we transferred this virus into our house we have birds in our house and we’re raising birds and they’re more susceptible and they’re definitely can get a virus. Get sick and we’ll start having cases of bird flu. That’s where the cycle of virus and contagion is broken, and that’s where it gets complicated.

Can you tell us that these recommendations are being followed, at least in the small shoulder or south breakwater area?

We have had situations like this: a sanitary cordon is set up and people pass through the sanitary cordon. This happened to us today on the beach downtown.

There is no treatment for this condition in animals, especially in large numbers.

No, there is no cure. is impossible. An effective treatment has not even been developed, but not only in our country, but nowhere. As I told you, a lot depends on the survival immunity of the animal.

Is this purely from birds, or could there be some other type of contagion?

Epidemiological links are being studied, but the hosts are birds. Of course, since all animals live together, birds (in this case sea creatures) contagiously pass their feces.

If there is contagion among the sea lions, nothing can be found. No studies have shown contagion among sea lions.

Does this type of flu have a cycle of several days like in humans?

There is a loop. We hope that from spring onwards, migratory birds will start coming in, where they can potentially pick up new strains and get reinfected. We therefore expect more infections, as in other countries that have experienced new outbreaks of avian influenza. We have connections with various countries. This is going down, there are cases in France, in the US, through the US, to Brazil…

It seems like an all-out struggle to keep that worry under control.

We must continue to work together. Everyone is becoming aware and cooperating with the staff as much as possible, I want to emphasize this especially because of the Argentinean Animals Foundation, the Civil Defense Municipality, the Union of Ports, the County, the University and SENASA. In all of us, we complement each other to protect people, but the situation is not spreading to the best of our ability.

related