The number of sea lion deaths known in the past few days due to bird flu outbreaks has not yet been officially linked in the area closest to the port of Blanca, and it is not ruled out that specimens may appear in the next few years. Hour. Sick on the coast of Bahia.
Although there have been known deaths of these animals at Monte Hermoso (at the mouth of the Sauce Grande) and La Chiquita hot springs, and apart from the poor appearance of the birds, it has not been reliably proven that the deaths were due to disease.
Biologist Leandro Marban of Guillermo “Indio” Fidalgo’s Marine Animal Station told the show company news,Depend on road 2.
Mass die-off of sea lions on Necochea beach
“We have no tested confirmed cases in our area, but we have had several incidents. The closest thing is what happened in San Blas, where 20 samples died in large numbers, which makes us suspect avian flu cases” , he explained.
In addition to this, six other cases have been registered on the Atlantic coast in Villarino in recent hours.
“Both Quiquen and Mar del Plata have sea lion colonies. In Puerto Blanca we also have Trinidad, which is bigger than those two islands, so animals with the disease tend to be here ,”He said.
Maban confirmed that transmission between these animals occurred through contact with their bodily fluids, such as nasal secretions and saliva.
View of Trinidad, sea lion colony at the mouth of the Bahia estuary.
“From the pattern of progression of the cases, we understand that the wolves themselves are infected, from the Pacific Ocean in Chile to our region, as well as along the coastline. So it is not unreasonable that there will be new cases in Uruguay in the next few days.”
Regarding the danger of the disease to humans, he said it was possible to become infected, although he clarified that it was a low-risk disease.
“This bird flu has been in the environment for 30 years and hasn’t caused much infection in humans since. It could happen, but there’s no need to panic,” he said.
As such, he advises against coming into contact with these types of animals, whether it’s sea lions or misbehaving birds. The same goes for pets, which can serve as carriers.
In San Blas they buried dead wolves
Within the framework of the discovery of dead sea lion specimens and the corresponding monitoring and investigations, the San Blas Bay municipal delegation decided to bury the specimens found on these shores.
On the coast of San Blas, seven dead sea lions (Otaria Flavescens) were found and identified with X marks (1 to 7), along with 5 other recoveries, 3 of which were deceased. Appropriate samples will be taken from them in conjunction with Senasa personnel to determine whether their aetiology is caused by the HPAI H5N1 virus.
“It is noteworthy that although it is a potentially zoonotic disease, the high infectivity and high mortality in the region occurs mainly in birds and sea lions,” he explained.
Within this framework, the commune reminds that if there are animals, whether alive or dead, on the beach, the local authorities should be notified for monitoring or removed from the place and that under no circumstances should they come into direct contact with or The bodily fluids they release. Pets are also asked not to hang out on the beach. (The new one.and Carmen de Patagones Agency)