The Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed the detection of the Avian influenza virus of high pathogenicity (IAAP) H5N1 in several wild birds that have been killed in the segre river in its passage by Soses (Lleida), the first of the country so far
of year.
It is the same avian flu virus that in recent weeks has caused massive death of birds in Israel, as far as local authorities consider the worst blow to wildlife in the history of the country.
According to Efe Sources of the Ministry, they were rural agents of the Generalitat who found four swans (Cygnus Odor) and a stork (Ciconia Ciconia) dead in the river by this viral disease, within the framework of the observation work of the national program
of surveillance of avian influenza in Spain.
Once the samples of swabs of deceased birds were achieved, they were sent for analysis to the Irta-Cresa laboratory, where positive results were obtained by PCR to the H5 subtype of the virus.
The results were confirmed in the Veterinary Central Laboratory (LCV) of Algete (Madrid) and it was determined that it is a strain of IAAP H5N1.
Faced with the confirmation, the rural agents of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Environment of the Government of Aragon intensified “immediately” the passive surveillance of wild birds in the surrounding area of 10 kilometers around the focus, prioritizing the first 3 kilometers.
Since the ministry, they ensure that there are no commercial poultry farms in these first kilometers and that the controls of the farms located on the radius of 10 kilometers are already being reviewed in order to check the biosecurity measures, inform those responsible for the birds of the
Risk and the importance of avoiding contact with the wild, as well as checking the clinical stage of animals to be able to detect any suspicion of infection.
Similarly, from agriculture indicate that the finding in wild birds should not involve commercial restrictions to the movement of live birds or its products, “maintaining Spain the status of officially free avian influenza”.
The H5N1 subtype is the predominant in the current Epizootic wave of IAAP present in the North and Center of Europe, where from the past 1 August to 27, 2021, a total of 1,199 spotlights have been reported in 27 countries, 507 in
Poultry and 692 in birds that are not of Corral (Wildlife Included).
At this time, and after confirming the presence of the virus in Soses, “the introduction and circulation of the IAAP virus in Spain can be considered as very high in the areas of special risk and high in areas of special surveillance”, of
There it has been decided to equate biosecurity measures to be applied in areas of special risk of the country.
Therefore, at this time the use of birds of anseriforme and charadriform orders as a lure, duck and geese breeding with other poultry species, outdoor poultry raising, water deposits to the
Outdoors and the presence of poultry and other types of captive birds in the centers of concentration of animals.
Since the Ministry reinforce the message of the need to strengthen biosecurity measures, passive surveillance and the importance of notifying official veterinarians before any suspicion of the disease.
