Credit SENASA
#17,651
The ongoing tragedy of marine mammal losses from H5N1 in South America continues, and while Chile and Peru have reported the highest numbers (Chile > 16,000 sea lions), over the past month we've seen a steady increase in reports from Argentina as well.
Over the past 7 days Argentina's Senasa (National Food Safety and Quality Service) has posted no fewer than 4 updates on the increasing number of dead H5N1-infected Sea Lions being detected along their southern coastline.
- Avian influenza: A new positive case was confirmed in sea lions in Santa Cruz Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2023
- Avian influenza: A new positive case was confirmed in sea lions in Buenos Aires Posted on Monday, August 29, 2023
- Avian influenza: Outbreaks were confirmed in sea lions in Buenos Aires and Río Negro Posted on Monday, August 28, 2023
- Avian influenza: New outbreaks were confirmed in sea lions in Buenos Aires and Chubut Posted on Friday, August 25, 2023
While dozens of dead animals have been reported over the past week, this is likely only a fraction of the number of marine mammals lost to this avian virus. Many may die at sea, or on remote beaches, and are never counted.
As a result of this increased activity, yesterday SENASA released the following health guidelines.
Avian influenza: Health guidelines for the detection of cases in marine mammals
Senasa informs the preventive measures for the population and the inter-institutional approach for the management of positive cases of the virus.
Posted on Thursday, August 31, 2023
Buenos Aires – According to the current scenario due to the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in marine mammals , the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa) communicates the sanitary tasks implemented and the preventive measures and recommendations for institutions and the general public.
From the notifications of sea lions with symptoms compatible with HPAI and/or their death, Senasa attended each of them according to the epidemiological actions corresponding to the management of the avian influenza emergency. Given the confirmation of the positive laboratory diagnosis, the National Health Agency implemented, together with municipal, provincial and national institutions, an intervention protocol that coordinates the strategies and health tasks to contain the outbreak.
Senasa works in cases that occur in wildlife animals, in collaboration with national, provincial and municipal institutions responsible for wildlife and biodiversity. It is important to note that Senasa does not carry out sanitary culling in any of the cases where suspicions of avian influenza in wild animals, such as sea lions, are dealt with.
The samples sent for laboratory diagnosis are taken from animals that have died from the disease or are sick, and those that are buried on site (to avoid spread of the virus) are those that have died from the disease.
Recommendations
Because the virus is found in the secretions and excretions of sick or dead animals, institutions and the general public are reminded not to approach dead animals or those with suspicious symptoms and notify Senasa if mortality, nervous signs, digestive and/or respiratory in marine mammals or both wild and domestic birds (mainly including ducks, hens, chickens, roosters, geese, turkeys).
In addition, it is recommended:
•In the presence of wild animals, such as sick or dead birds and sea lions, do not approach them and avoid direct contact.• Carry out responsible pet ownership, restricting their access to beaches with the presence of sick or dead animals.• Immediately notify the presence of sick or dead wild animals.
Epidemiological Situation
Senasa highlights that the recent detections in marine mammals do not affect the animal health status declared before the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO), where Argentina maintains its status as a country free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry. According to the guidelines of that Organization, the presence of the disease in the subpopulation of wild animals can occur and the subpopulation of domestic birds can be kept free of the disease with biosecurity measures and surveillance.
Senasa will continue to work with the different regions, together with national, provincial, and municipal organizations and the productive sector, since the state of alert and epidemiological surveillance is maintained to try to contain the spread of the disease.
Notification channels
Avian influenza is a notifiable disease in our country according to Senasa Resolution 153/2021 and any person can notify the Agency, if they identify mortality, nervous, digestive and/or respiratory signs in wild or poultry birds, through the following channels:
Going personally to the nearest Senasa office , by calling 11 5700 5704 ; through the App for mobile devices "Senasa Notifications" , available in the Play Store; writing to the email notificaciones@senasa.gob.ar or through the section Notify Senasa , available on its website. More information on the avian influenza microsite.
Beyond the horrendous loss of so many mammals - and its unpredictable knock-on impacts to the ecosystem - each mammalian infection is another opportunity for this avian influenza virus to better adapt to - and potentially transmit among - mammalian hosts.
While HPAI H5 has been around (and a pandemic concern) for more than 2 decades, it has only been in the past 2 or 3 years that we've seen it spilling over into mammals in such a big way; tens of thousands of seals and sea lions, hundreds of thousands of farmed mink, an unknown (but growing) number of wild peridomestic mammals - and even into pig herds in Italy and Africa.
Admittedly, we could get lucky; there may be some (as yet, unknown) species barrier that prevents HPAI H5 from ever becoming a human pandemic.
But if there is anything to the old adage `Practice makes perfect', the rising volume of spillovers of H5 into mammals should give us pause.
