Bird flu upsets mood, kills nearly 9,000 marine animals in Chile, France starts vaccination

Avian influenza, a highly pathogenic avian flu, has wreaked havoc on poultry production worldwide, resulting in the culling of more than 200 million birds in the last 18 months. The disease has killed nearly 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters and small cetaceans in Chile, according to AFP news agency. France, which has also been hit hard by bird flu, has also announced its intention to start a bird flu vaccination program in the fall after successful tests in ducks, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

French duck vaccination

Among the European Union countries most severely affected is France, where since the beginning of this month there has been a notable resurgence of the outbreak in the southwest of the country, mainly among ducks.

In anticipation of the situation, France had ordered 80 million doses of the vaccine in advance, subject to a final trial conducted by the French health and safety agency ANSES, according to a Reuters report.

“These positive results give us enough assurance to start a vaccination campaign as early as autumn 2023,” the French Ministry of Agriculture said on its website.

Is vaccination effective?

The conclusions drawn from the study are that vaccinated mule ducks effectively control virus transmission, distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals (termed the DIVA principle), and reduce virus shedding among vaccinated birds. was shown.

Vaccination and Government

Governments have been wary of using vaccines in the past, citing potential trade restrictions. However, given the severity of the bird flu outbreak and its impact on public health, many governments are considering vaccination as a means of controlling the spread of the virus and preventing it from infecting humans.

Preliminary results from the Netherlands also showed that the tested vaccine was effective.

Situation in Chile

About 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters and small cetaceans have died from an outbreak of bird flu along the country’s north coast, the Chilean Fisheries Authority reported, according to AFP news agency. The epidemic, which began in 2023, has killed more than 7,600 sea lions, 1,186 Humboldt penguins (an endangered species found only in Chile and Peru), as well as various otters, porpoises and dolphins.

The disease affects 12 of Chile’s 16 regions, prompting the activation of “surveillance protocols” along the coast. Measures include burying infected animals to prevent further spread of the virus.

Bird flu is a hot topic

Since late 2021, the world has been grappling with one of the deadliest bird flu epidemics on record. The epidemic has resulted in the culling of tens of millions of poultry in several countries, widespread mortality of wild birds, and increased infection of mammals.

Watch | Bird flu: Brazil declares animal health emergency after multiple cases found

avian influenza in humans

In Cambodia, an 11-year-old girl became ill in mid-February, presented with symptoms including fever, cough and sore throat, and tragically died after contracting the H5N1 bird flu virus. Her father also tested positive for her, but Cambodian health officials ruled out human-to-human transmission. Avian influenza rarely infects mammals, and even more rarely in humans. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this disease and it tends to be fatal in both wild and domestic birds.

Chile reported its first human case in March, a 53-year-old man. Other South American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru, have also reported cases, and hundreds of sea lion deaths have been reported in some areas.

(Information provided by agency)

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