CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — An outbreak of bird flu in pelicans has authorities in Venezuela taking emergency efforts to protect poultry producers.
Numerous pelicans were found dead over the weekend along Venezuela’s coast as the species arrived amid their annual winter migration. Other outbreaks among pelicans prompted bird flu alerts in Peru and Ecuador. Avian flu has been striking migratory birds across North America and in many other countries in recent months.
The pelicans’ bodies appeared on beaches and waterfronts, mangrove forests and up in the trees in the northwest state of Anzoátegui. Tests turned up positive cases of bird flu.
As a preventative measure, the government imposed a 90-day quarantine on five states: Anzoátegui, Sucre, Nueva Esparta, Miranda and la Guaira. Agriculture Minister Wilmer Castro Soteldo suggested in a statement that the National Institute of Agricultural Health will work to avoid its spread to birds of other species, especially those eaten by humans.
These rules prohibit moving live birds and fertile eggs from the quarantined states, and entire flocks that may have had contact with infected birds must be sacrificed, the statement said.
The infected pelicans arrived in Venezuela amid their species’ annual winter migration, the government said. Peru and Ecuador also are under alerts for bird flu outbreaks.
The absence of live birds is already evident in the markets of Caracas. Chicken is one of the main ingredients of a traditional Venezuelan dish known as “hallaca,” a cornmeal stuffed with meat, vegetables and fruit.
“I found it strange that at this time of year I didn’t see a single live hen in the market,” said Gabriela Medina, 41. “I hope chicken or eggs aren’t hard to find for Christmas.”
–Associated Press
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
WASHINGTON — An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has spread through chicken and turkey flocks in 46 states since it was first detected in Indiana on Feb. 8, 2022. The outbreak is also taking a heavy toll in Canada and Europe. Better known as bird flu, avian influenza is a family of highly contagious viruses that are not […]
DES MOINES, Iowa — Brad Moline, a fourth-generation Iowa turkey farmer, saw this happen before. In 2015, a virulent avian flu outbreak nearly wiped out his flock. Barns once filled with chattering birds were suddenly silent. Employees were anguished by having to kill sickened animals. The family business, started in 1924, was at serious risk. […]
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bird flu is killing an alarming number of bald eagles and other wild birds, with many sick birds arriving at rehabilitation centers unsteady on their talons and unable to fly. “It’s quite a sight to see an eagle with a six-foot wingspan having uncontrollable seizures because of highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Is it OK for free-range chickens to not range freely? That’s a question free-range egg producers have been pondering lately as they try to be open about their product while also protecting chickens from a highly infectious bird flu that has resulted in the death of roughly 28 million poultry birds across […]
LINCOLN, Neb. — On Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the Eurasian H5 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza — commonly called the avian flu — had infected a wild duck in South Carolina. That report marked the first detection of a highly pathogenic, or disease-causing, strain in the United States since 2015. Unfortunately, it would […]
