Authorities confirm first case of H5N1 influenza in Arica bird: affects the poultry industry

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a wild bird found in Arica, Arica and Parinacota region. This would correspond to the H5N1 variant, which has been detected in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.
In this case, state and private bodies strengthened collaborations to strengthen biosecurity measures, since this virus can affect poultry production.
Those in charge of giving the news were the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, and the national director (s) of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), Andrea Collao, who, when deepening the subject, indicated that they have not found negative effects on the productive matrix of the poultry sector after this finding.
“We want to inform that today the Agricultural and Livestock Service, deployed on alert throughout the time to determine if avian influenza has arrived in Chile, has definitively detected that it arrived in a wild bird that was discovered in poor condition in the region of Arica and Parinacota,” Valenzuela said.
Wild bird migrations
On the SAG website, the Secretary of State noted that this discovery responds to the migration of wild birds from the northern hemisphere to the south. “In North America, Europe and the countries of the coast of Latin America as a result of the migrations of wild birds, an increase in cases of avian influenza from the north and south has been detected, as we have seen in the region of Arica and Parinacota (…) we have worked with the poultry and egg industries, with the Ministry of the Interior, with the Ministry of Health and various public departments to give maximum vigilance and support in this situation.”
“We are prepared, rest assured. This does not affect poultry consumption or export. The same goes for our country’s egg production. To each of the places audited by the SAG we ask for co-responsibility and cooperation in this process,” he added.
Valenzuela made a call to the public that “before any observation of sick birds they must communicate it to the available channels of the SAG. We ask you not to handle sick or dead birds in any case.” 

The contact channels to make these complaints are the following: 2 2345 1100 / +56 9 690 89 780 or write to oficina.informaciones@sag.gob.cl.  

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Original source in Spanish