The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), through the National Directorate of Animal Health, announced the presence of high pathogenicity an aviar influenza – Iaap H5N1, in a backyard farm located in the flower, Dellega district, province of Chiriquí, But he clarified that this is not affecting human health, consumption or trade in the field during a press conference, in which authorities of the Ministry of Health and the Panamanian poultry sector participated.
The National Director of Animal Health of Mida, Reinaldo Viveros, said that this finding was given thanks to the epidemiological surveillance actions that develop the measure and that the corresponding controls were already taken by identifying a positive case of the disease.
Given this situation, he said that the following measures were implemented immediately:
Decree an immediate quarantine of the farm and in the periphocal area; reinforce surveillance work in the area; prohibit the movement of birds from the affected area with this disease; prohibit hunting activities and the realization of rooster fights in the area; Strengthen biosafety measures at all points of the production chain and strengthen epidemiological surveillance programs in areas of greatest risk of introduction of the IAAP.
He added that diagnostic capacity in official laboratories has been strengthened and that dissemination and health education campaigns are intensifying at the national level.
For its part, the National Director of Food Control and Veterinary Surveillance of Minsa, Anaís Vargas, made a peace of mind to consumers, since both institutions maintain a strict poultry health surveillance at the national level.
The director of agricultural quarantine, Arcelio Acevedo reaffirmed the commitment of measuring the technical measures related to the mobilization of animals where the outbreak was presented, as one of the immediate actions, of a quarantine nature, to minimize the risk of dissemination of the disease .
For the National Poultry Technical Commission, of the National Association of Poultry farmers of Panama (Anavip), Luis Antonio Barahona, said that they remain supporting and in knowledge of all the actions promoted by Mida and Minsa.
Animal Health asks producers to make the immediate notification of sick or dead birds, their closest MIDA agency or 6550-8486.
If mortality of wild birds is observed in lagoons, wetlands or areas where they frequent this type of populations, immediately notify the authorities, with the purpose of taking the necessary measures in the study of the case and its control.
The IAAP manifests itself with fever, depression, lack of appetite, sneezing, blood nasal discharge, diarrhea, inflation with purple or binding coloration of the crest, eyes, chin, bristle plumage, tremors, weakness, incoordination, piled up and decrease in production of eggs, as well as eggs with soft shell or without it.
