Sea lions: more than 200 sea lions found dead in 17 days in Chubut Province | More than 30 people tested positive for bird flu

Fernando Bersano, Director of Fauna and Flora of Chubut Province, reported today that “in the past 17 days, some 210 dead sea lion specimens have been counted in different parts of the coast of Chubut Province”, although only Some of this may be related to bird flu.

“In recent weeks, inanimate bodies have been registered, a gradual but continuous process, with more than 30 of them testing positive for the virus and others showing symptoms,” the official explained in a conversation with Télam.

However, Bersano clarified: “There are other deaths related to natural causes than to this epidemic, especially in the smallest sample because there are more puppies in the herd, which are the most vulnerable. zone.”

The complexity of the so-called “wild circuit” is that it cannot be controlled and prevented, and the disease must be allowed to evolve while the species adapts by producing its own antibodies.

The coastline of Chubut Province is estimated to be about 1,200 km long, and many areas have small bays, bays and canyons that are difficult to access, so the impact on the colonies scattered across the extensive coastline was invisible.

The last reports of high mortality in groups of dead specimens in the area were over Shrimp Bay and further north over Cabo Raso, a distance of about 120 km. South of Rosen, the capital of Chubut province.

They have already registered dead animals “positive” for bird flu in the northernmost part of the region, more precisely on the Valdes peninsula.

As a precaution, the Chubut government ordered restricting access to the area two weeks ago and banned activities such as diving and kayaking in the area near the post.

This zoonotic disease, that is, an epidemic among animals, has had a strange evolution, spreading from birds to sea lions, especially unifurred sea lions, which, once infected, show symptoms such as difficulty breathing, clumsiness and disorientation.

All eyes will be on Punta Tombo, a colony of Magellanic penguins that can house 1 million penguins at peak populations, which will open to visitors next Friday.

“We have had no reports of penguins being affected, so restrictive measures cannot be taken without solid evidence, so the season will start in the middle of the month because there are not many,” the department’s chief said.

However, preventive measures such as shoe shine and tour group tours will be taken to avoid contact as much as possible.

Yesterday, Uruguayan authorities reported the first death of a sea lion from bird flu.specimen is Cerro beach in Montevideo found dead

The Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) reported in a statement.

He noted that the animal first appeared on Thursday, August 31, with similar symptoms, and was contained on September 2, the same day that all appropriate swab tests were performed.

“We are waiting for the sequencing to see if it was animals that ingested the birds that carried the virus, or if it was a transmission between species,” Fernando Mattos, head of MGAP, told Channel 10 news program underline.