The Chilean Agricultural Service (SAG) confirmed the first case of avian influenza in a commercial market, in an agrosuper industrial unit in the O'Higgins region. Chilean Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela said the country communicated the notification to the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA) and self-suspended the export of birds from the country.

The SAG also activated the slaughter protocol of the affected animals and the isolation of the area, sanitary measures aimed at preventing the spread of the disease to other farms. According to the head of the Livestock Protection Division of SAG, Carlos Orellana, there were about 40,000 breeding birds in the squad.

SAG's national director, Andrea Collao, said the service has been working for nearly four months on a health prevention strategy. "In less than 24 hours, an early detection was made, which reflects that the system works," said the executive, highlighting the need to emphasize biosafety measures by the establishments.

Expectation to get rid of avian flu

For the union representative and president of Chile Carne, Juan Carlos Domínguez, due to the implementation of the protocols, it is possible that the country will be free of avian influenza in less than 30 days.

According to the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, the country has 12 regions with positive cases in wild and domestic birds, with a total of 27 species of birds affected. The SAG has collected samples of more than 16,000 backyard birds, nearly 4,000 industrial birds and about 3,000 wild birds in order to make an early detection of the disease.

Source: Canal Rural