Mexico. - Mexican authorities have culled 2.1 million birds affected by avian flu outbreak that has spread to 18 farms in the central state of Guanajuato, officials said.
The Secretary of Agriculture (SAGARPA), Enrique Martinez, said at a press conference that since the outbreak was detected were culled 519,000 birds producing eggs, 900,000 and 722,265 broiler breeder flocks.
He stressed that these losses do not affect the national inventory, which covers 140 million laying hens and 300 million broilers.
The minister said the outbreak was controlled and kept being resolved in the affected area, "a complex task because it is a highly pathogenic virus that requires great efforts to prevent its spread."
The National Service of Health, Food Safety and Quality (Senasica) indicated that their technicians have tested 35 chicken farms in Guanajuato and four million birds, of which 1.3 million are not affected by the H7N3 avian influenza.
The owner of Senasica, Enrique Sanchez Cruz, told the press conference because it is an exotic virus, Mexican birds have no natural defense against it and the only protection the vaccine is produced in Mexico, who "worked extraordinarily ".
Since starting a health emergency, has been distributed 22 million vaccines and this week will be distributed 40 million more, he said.
A farm company Pilgrim's Pride was reported today in the presence of the virus and thus joined the production units of the company Bachoco said Sanchez, who asked the producers to remain vigilant and strengthen biosecurity.
For his part, Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, clarified that there is no reason to cause shortages of these products, or excuse or pretext to increase the prices of chicken and egg.
The Federal Consumer Protection inspects and monitors permanently the case, said the minister, who considered it very important to work with poultry producers to curb the outbreak, as it is a strategic sector in the national food chain.
Since last February 15, the administration declared a health emergency after Bachoco reported a possible outbreak of avian influenza.
From that time established an alert in the area and was able to identify the presence of this outbreak in twelve farms originally four municipalities of Guanajuato.
In June last year there was an outbreak of the same virus that led to the authorities and producers to slaughter more than 22 million birds affected, sparking a shortage of egg and chicken meat and the consequent rise in prices. http://www.siete24.mx/nacional/36501-suman-21-millones-de-aves-sacrificadas-en-mexico-
