Uruguay confirms first sea lion case of bird flu Noting that there are other suspected cases on the country’s coast, they urged people not to approach the animals, either alive or dead.
On Tuesday 5 September, the first case of H5 avian influenza was detected in a wild mammal in Uruguay: Dead sea lion found on Cerro beach in MontevideoThe Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) reported in a statement, AFP reported.
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 determine if the animal ingested the carrier bird, or if it was a species-to-species transmissionMGAP chief Fernando Mattos told Channel 10’s news program Underlined.
“Hopefully this is a case that was dragged down by the current situation. We know that the virus is spreading in Argentina,” he added.
indeed, At least a hundred sea lions have been found dead from bird flu on various beaches along the Atlantic coast of Argentina, Buenos Aires and Patagonia, official sources reported last week.
Matos said there are currently no active cases of the disease in Uruguayan poultry.
Authorities in Uruguay on 16 August suspended the health emergency decree for avian influenza issued on 15 February for 60 days following the discovery of a case of a black-necked swan in the Garzon Lake region in the east of the country.
MGAP said the decision was taken 80 days after the last outbreak, but clarified that it would maintain effective precautionary measures across the country.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), bird flu has caused “unprecedented” deaths in wild and domestic birds since 2020 in many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.
The virus spread to North America in 2021 and then to Central and South America in 2022.
After confirming the first marine mammal case, MGAP asks people Keep pets away from or through fenced areas to avoid contagion and spread of disease.
Human infections with bird flu are very rare, but when they do occur, they can cause severe illness and a high mortality rate.
Source: Telam