The animal health authorities in Cuba assured this Thursday that the presence of the virus of the bird flu after recently confirming cases detected in Havana.
On February 7, the National Center for Animal Health (Cenasa), belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed the presence for the first time in Cuba of avian influence, variant a(H5N1), specifically in wild birds of the Zoological Garden, specifies a publication from the official journal Granma.
According to Dr. Pastor Alfonso, a Cenasa specialist, thanks to the rapid and efficient application of the established protocols, which include, among other actions, the slaughter of infested captive birds, the sanitation of the place and the quarantine of specimens that could have been exposed to the virus, “the event is controlled and does not compromise the national animal health situation.”
The outlet points out that after a sudden increase in mortality in the birds of the Havana zoo, its specialists contacted the health authorities, and that after examining samples taken from several corpses, it was confirmed that the specimens were infected with the virus.
The Cuban experts specify that since the transmission occurred in captive wild birds and not in poultry, according to the criteria of the World Organization for Animal Health, the country maintains its status as free of this disease.
Avian influenza is spread throughout the world. It is transmitted between birds through direct contact with a sick specimen, with surfaces and food contaminated with saliva, mucosa or feces.
Remember Granma that in the American continent it has been expanded by migratory birds originating from North America, specifically from Canada and the United States, which cross the region annually in two waves: from north to south during autumn and winter, and from south to north in the summer and spring, with a peak in the buds between the months of October to March.
“Two migratory corridors pass through our territory, which is why we receive large populations of these birds every year. These are usually concentrated in the water mirrors (lakes, lagoons, dams) and wetlands of the country, attracted by the climate and natural conditions”, highlights the doctor of Sciences Cristóbal Arredondo Alfonso, general director of Cenansa.
A place where the presence of these animals is common is, precisely the 26 Zoo, a fact that, according to Dr. Arredondo Alfonso, explains why the disease spread in this place, adds the publication.
According to Arredondo Alfonso, since 2021 an increase in registered cases has been detected, which has caused the two most serious epidemic periods in the entire history of North America and Europe. The specialist gave the example of the United States, where in one year more than 40 million poultry have died or been slaughtered to contain the virus, causing millions in economic losses.
In Latin America, the disease has affected ten countries, which has unleashed a crisis at the continental level, where poultry products are the most affordable protein. In addition, the sector represents a means of livelihood for millions of people, whether with backyard or massive farming, the specialist remarked.
Last December, Cuba issued an alert about the possibility of bird flu reaching the country. The authorities assure that since 2005 there has been a National Emergency Plan that includes constant control and monitoring of bird populations and in the places of greatest risk.
A temporary working group is currently active in which the ministries of Agriculture and Public Health, Civil Defense, local governments, as well as research centers and various laboratories work together.
If the disease spread to poultry, the consequences would be disastrous, especially for the economy, according to the criteria of Yolanda Capdevila, an epidemiological specialist at Cenasa.
“Although in Cuba birds are not massively raised for meat consumption, it is done for egg production. If the virus spreads in a production center, this would imply the slaughter of all the birds in the place, whether they have symptoms or not, as well as getting rid of all the postures and food. The economic losses would be very high, in addition to the fact that this would lead to an increase in the prices of eggs, a product that is already expensive in the national market”, he assures.
Regarding the possibility of humans being infected with avian influenza, Granma indicates that the World Health Organization (WHO) describes this risk as “negligible”, due to its low rate, although it is not impossible.
In addition, the newspaper emphasizes the security measures implemented in light of the current situation and points out that the institution’s request that the population avoid the transfer and trade of live birds, whether wild, captive or farmed, without the proper permission of the veterinary authorities, as well as the hunting, the capture of wild birds, and the exhibition or sale of these at fairs and similar spaces.
