Senasa confirms bird flu in sea lion killed in Necochea

he National Produce Health and Quality Service (Senasa) “New outbreaks of marine mammals in Buenos Aires and Santa Cruz” confirmed this afternoon.its about “Two sea lions from Punta Loyola and 16 sea lions from Necochea“, he Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5 Virus.They also noted that official sources database, Other samples were taken from 40 fur seals found dead at La Beach. The city of Buenos Aires is “still under analysis”.

Therefore, with the confirmation of a positive case of dead sea lions (Otaria flavescens) found in sea lions (Otaria flavescens), Quacken Harbor, Necochea The pathogen was first detected in the province of Buenos Airesas happens in Punta Loyola, Santa Cruz.

On the other hand, in the last few hours, In Viedma, Río Negro province, a dozen sea lions were found dead or showing symptoms corresponding to the bird flu virus, the Rionegro Minister of Environment and Climate Change and members of the municipal government affirmed this.It is shown Senasa arrive databasethe reason for these phenomena The death toll is still being studied. The Rio Negro Undersecretary for Environment and Climate Change, Fabián Llanos, told Telam news agency that restrictions were imposed on the beaches of Punta Bermeja as a precautionary measure.

Although in recent days some 4 specimens died on the southern breakwater of Mar del Plata. The people had been dead for days, so it was not possible to determine whether their deaths were caused by the virus, according to the state entity.Although local media pointed out Tres Arroyos Four dead sea lions were reported to have been found in the area just 24 hours earlier. Ourense spa town.

“To date, four notifications for sea lions have been processed: the first two were negative; the third was found in the Antarctic province of Tierra del Fuego and the Rio Grande in the South Atlantic Islands, a first for this species positive cases; the fourth was recently confirmed a few days ago in the Rio Negro, Punta Bermeja Natural Reserve,” they said in a statement from Senasa.

Before these mammal deaths were discovered, official agencies had notified August 16 last virus 1 sea lion A dead hair found on the coast of the province black river. The specimen was found in the Punta Bermejara Loberia Nature Reserve.

five days ago, August 11, Senasa has reported that 7 of 21 sea lions The same kind that died in the Rio Grande, country of fire, They are already infected.

One-haired sea lion, scientific name is Sophora flavescens, Inhabits the coast of South America. Especially in the Argentine Sea there are numerous colonies.Authorities estimate that the animals were contagious through Direct contact with secretions from infected birds. Humans can also get the virus, but so far the number of cases in the world is low.

Likewise, Senasa stressed that, given the suspicions in these cases, they held meetings with municipal, provincial and national institutions to communicate the intervention options in such cases. In addition, they received assurances from national entities that health strategies and actions were developed and coordinated to achieve the following objectives: Control outbreaks and provide information.

Official sources warned in conversations that databasewho does not yet know how infect of sea ​​lion. “Presumably, they may have come into contact with infected birds by consuming infected birds as food,” they said.

Also in Tierra del Fuego, the death of 21 sea lions was reported and at least seven were confirmed to be infected with bird flu, prompting the provincial government to put up posters to prevent people from entering the coastal sanctuary in the city of Rio Grande.According to the resolution of the Argentine government, the bird flu virus is highly contagious in Argentina and should be notified Senasa 153/2021. Anyone who observes death, neurological, digestive and/or respiratory symptoms in wild or poultry can notify the agency.

This is a disease that affects wild birds and poultry. Argentina lost its title of “bird flu-free” after its first endemic outbreak in February last year. The first case was confirmed on 15 February in an Andean goose in the province of Jujuy, and authorities immediately declared a health emergency.

In early August, 18 commercial establishments registered in the country had detected outbreaks, the last of which had been closed.Afterwards, Senasa proposed World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) The document is accompanied by a self-declaration supporting and maintaining Argentina’s status as a country free of poultry diseases. The cases registered a few days ago in Rio Negro and Tierra del Fuego were mammals and not poultry. Therefore, the classification of “free” is still maintained.

The last positive sample of avian influenza occurred in so-called backyard or poultry, ie chickens, ducks, geese, domestic and non-commercially produced turkeys, on 4 August from the town of Santiago del Pinto. Estero. Despite the restoration of state in Argentina, the state of health emergency remains in effect through a nationwide epidemiological surveillance and prevention mandate.

Migratory birds can carry the virus, although they are sometimes asymptomatic. In other cases, they may also get sick. Transmission of the virus from wild birds can occur if they come into contact with large numbers of poultry that are kept in close quarters, such as hens or chicks. Last February, OMSA reported that more than 100 million poultry birds had died or been culled due to the virus.

On July 12, the World Health Organization and OMSA issued another bird flu risk alert. They note that the current outbreaks have “wreaked havoc on animal populations, including poultry, wild birds, and some mammals, and have harmed farmers’ livelihoods and the food trade.” Although animals have been greatly affected, “the impact of these outbreaks The outbreak poses an ongoing risk to humanity.”

Senasa states that it “advises not to handle dead animals or animals with suspicious symptoms. Likewise, producers, institutions and the public are reminded that if a susceptible species is found to have high mortality, neurological, digestive and and/or respiratory symptoms must be notified”. “It is also advised not to travel to poultry farms or wildlife colonies and not to handle them after exposure to dead animals or symptoms,” they concluded.

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