Guatemala activates alert and redoubles controls in the face of cases reported in Mexico and Colombia
Guatemalan health authorities declared a epidemiological alert to the possible entry of avian influenza that has been detected in Mexico and Colombia.
The alert was activated to redouble controls due to the threat of detected cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza of the H5N1 subtype in those countries, reported this Friday, November 4, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA).
The main objective of the measures will be to safeguard poultry production in the country, for which the surveillance and controls of the movement of birds will be increased.
The National Poultry Health Program (Prosa) issued the notice warning that the virus has already affected wild and poultryas has recently happened in Mexico and Colombia.
The director of Prosa, Julio Cordón, said that With this alert, it is established to redouble the controls and inspections of people and transport in ports, airports and land borders in order to prevent the entry of birds and poultry products from countries that already have cases of the disease.
Cordón emphasized that Guatemala does not register any case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). “If we detect birds or poultry products without the corresponding permits, these will be seized and incinerated immediately,” the official specified.
Prevention of avian influenza in Guatemala
Prosa published the respective recommendations so that avian influenza does not affect Guatemala. These are the measures to implement:
- Strengthen biosecurity measures in poultry production units
- Comply with laboratory tests for Avian Influenza, in accordance with current regulations
- Avoid hunting migratory birds, especially in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The MAGA also released the contact numbers in case a case of mortality in birds is detected, whether in poultry, backyard or wild. These types of cases should be reported immediately. to the entity at telephone numbers 2473-5211 and 2440-3752.
To detail
According to official figures, poultry farming in Guatemala has a population of 83.2 million birds. Of these, 68 percent corresponds to technical poultry farming and 32 percent to backyard poultry farming.
