Imminent meeting for avian flu: the Government analyzes applying more controls

After the appearance of cases of bird flu in different provinces, a meeting will be held this Tuesday in which different officials from the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Senasa will analyze the situation in the country.

The main concern of the authorities is that the disease reaches the production chains.

The summit will be at the Palacio de Hacienda, according to Infobae, a medium that indicates that the objective of the summit will be to review the state of the situation and define more measures to increase prevention actions together with the private sector.

In this context, progress might be made in a budget reinforcement for control mechanisms and deepen communication actions with different messages for the community.

What Bahillo said regarding bird flu

A few days ago, the Secretary of Agriculture, Juan José Bahillo, said that this bird flu “is much more contagious and more deadly in birds and makes us be more alert so that this influenza does not enter production systems, poultry farms, as either fattening chickens or eggs, because there we would be in a more critical situation. As long as it does not enter the production systems, we do not have commercial restrictions, there is no greater economic damage, but everything changes if we have to intervene on a farm”.

Senasa, which declared a health emergency throughout the national territory – recalls that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a high-impact disease in poultry production that affects both poultry (hens, roosters, chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese) as well as wild and domestic birds, and can sometimes affect people. Currently, there is no evidence of transmission through consumption of poultry or eggs.

Transmission to humans occurs through direct contact with infected animals (alive or dead) or with their contaminated environments when secretions or droppings from infected birds are inhaled or come into contact with the oral, nasal, or ocular mucosa.

It should be noted that birds that frequent urban areas, such as pigeons, present a low risk of infection with this virus.

AVIAN FLU: THE MAIN PREVENTION MEASURES THAT THE POPULATION SHOULD TAKE

• Do not bring birds or poultry products into the country without authorization from Senasa.
• Avoid contact with both wild and domestic or commercial birds.
• Do not visit poultry farms in Argentina for at least 72 hours, if you have been in contact with birds in other countries.
• Do not touch dead or sick-looking birds.
• Do not touch surfaces that might be contaminated with saliva, blood, or feces from wild or poultry birds.
• Recommendations for the productive sector

Senasa and the provincial Ministry of Agriculture urge the productive sector to:

• Maintain poultry farms in good condition and reinforce management, hygiene and biosecurity measures.
• Avoid the entry of birds of unknown origin.
• Prevent contact of domestic birds with wild birds.
• Wear exclusive clothing for working with birds.
• Compost correctly to the daily mortality of birds.

Immediately notify Senasa of any detection of clinical signs compatible with avian influenza (ruffled plumage, decay, lack of appetite, diarrhea; difficult breathing, sneezing, coughing, and runny nose; swelling of the head, combs, and chin; hemorrhages on the legs and skin, incoordination; decreased egg production, water or food consumption) and high mortality in domestic or wild birds.

Do not handle the birds when these clinical pictures are detected.

AVIAN FLU: WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT AN ILLNESS

In case of observing the presence or suspicion of clinical signs compatible with HPAI in birds or finding dead domestic and/or wild birds, any person can notify Senasa, through the following channels: at the local Senasa office; through the “Senasa Notifications” app available in the Play Store; by sending an email to [e-mail] and via the web in the “Notify Senasa” section or by calling 11-5700-5704.

Environmental Police also receives complaints anonymously by phone [phone], WhatsApp [phone], email [e-mail], through Ciudadano Digital or via the web.