AVIAN INFLUENZA (40): MEXICO (JALISCO) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY

[Kassy]

Published Date: 2012-06-30 23:54:15
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (40): Mexico (JA) high path H7N3, poultry
Archive Number: 20120630.1186085

AVIAN INFLUENZA (40): MEXICO (JALISCO) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY
************************************************** ************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org


Date: Tue 26 Jun 2012

Source CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy) News [edited]

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/con...612mexico.html





Tests reveal high-path H7N3 in Mexican poultry farm outbreaks



Mexican veterinary authorities are intensifying avian influenza control efforts in a region that houses several large commercial farms after further tests determined that the strain responsible for more than 200,000 bird deaths at 3 farms is the highly pathogenic H7N3 subtype.



The events represent the first highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in Mexican flocks since the country battled H5N2 in the mid 1990s.



In a follow-up report submitted today to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Mexican animal health officials said intravenous pathogenicity tests revealed the highly pathogenic H7N3 subtype. The initial report on 21 June 2012 said preliminary tests suggested a low-pathogenic H7 subtype.



The outbreaks began at 3 large commercial farms in Jalisco state on 13 June 2012, causing clinical signs in the layer flocks that included gasping, lethargy, fever, and death. The disease sickened 587,160 of more than 1 million susceptible birds, killing 211,424 of them. About 60,000 have been culled so far to curb the spread of the virus.



Today's update said that, based on the latest test results, authorities are sampling birds at about 60 poultry farms near the outbreak area, and quarantine measures are under way in the region, which has about 500 production units. Full gene sequencing and an epidemiologic investigation to determine the source of the virus are also in progress.



Jalisco state, in western Mexico, is the country's top egg producer.



Officials have also limited poultry movements near the outbreak area and are testing birds at commercial farms, backyard flocks, and poultry markets. They are also assessing biosecurity practices and overseeing depopulation efforts at the affected farms, according to the OIE report.



David A. Halvorson, DVM, an avian health expert at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, told CIDRAP News that Mexico's last high pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks occurred in 1994 and 1995 and involved H5N2. He added that low-pathogenic H5N2 circulated in the country for several years.



He said that in some parts of Mexico, large populations of backyard poultry, live poultry markets, and commercial farms exist without adequate separation between them.



Halvorson said US poultry producers, especially those in Texas, are always cautious about the potential for disease introduction from indirect contact with Mexican poultry. Halvorson added Mexican workers support poultry farmers in the West and Midwest, which presents another reason for caution.



John Glisson, DVM, PhD, director of research programs for the US Poultry and Egg Association, said in an e-mail statement to CIDRAP News, "The US poultry industry would strongly agree with the idea that the disease should be dealt with quickly and that quarantine of these farms and elimination of infected flocks would be a prudent measure."



According to background information from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), poultry imported from all countries except Canada must be quarantined for at least 30 days at a USDA Animal Import Center and be accompanied by import permits and veterinary health certificates. Canadian poultry entering the United States must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate issued within 30 days of import date.



In 2004, highly pathogenic H7N3 outbreaks in British Columbia's Fraser Valley led to the culling of 19 million birds, and 2 related human infections were confirmed.



The patients, both men who had been exposed to infected poultry on the farms, were the first known H7N3 infections in humans. Both had conjunctivitis with mild flulike symptoms, according to a December 2004 report on the cases in "Emerging Infectious Diseases".



Neither patient mounted an H7 antibody response, which led researchers to suggest that the men had highly localized, rather than systemic, infections.



[By Lisa Schnirring]



--

Communicated by:

Mike Nunn







[Influenza viruses that infect birds are called avian influenza viruses. Only influenza A viruses infect birds, and all known subtypes of influenza A viruses can infect birds. However, there are substantial genetic differences between the subtypes that typically infect both people and birds. Within subtypes of avian influenza A viruses there also are different strains.



Avian influenza A H5 and H7 viruses can be distinguished as "low pathogenic" and "high pathogenic" forms on the basis of genetic features of the virus and the severity of the illness they cause in poultry.



The continuing testing has identified a highly pathogenic strain. This is clearly a concern for the commercial producers, the authorities and even for the back yard producer. The consequences are far reaching, because as the article indicated, poultry workers from the region may also cross the Texas border and work at areas in Texas. Extra vigilance will also be required at the facilities employing Mexican workers and other individuals that have had exposure to the affected/infected birds.



This particular virus has likely caused other countries to slam shut the doors of commerce until this virus is contained.



Jalisco Mexico may be found on the interactive Healthmap at: http://healthmap.org/r/010B.



Portions of this comment were extracted from

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-inf...-influenza.htm. - Mod.TG]




See Also
http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php...120630.1186085

[Kassy]

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mex...rms-2012-06-30

Mexico claims it is contained to only 10 farm.
I hope for them that's true...

[Kassy]

Published Date: 2012-07-01 16:59:26
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (41): Mexico (JA) high path H7N3, poultry
Archive Number: 20120701.1186591

AVIAN INFLUENZA (41): MEXICO (JALISCO) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY
************************************************** ************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org


Date: Sat 30 Jun 2012

Source: Plengish.com [edited]

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o...679&I temid=1





Mexico (Prensa Latina) - Around one million birds have died or were culled at 111 poultry farms and 15 farms in Jalisco, Mexico, where the National Health and Quality Agribusiness Service (Senasica) detected in 10 such facilities the Avian H7N3 strain of avian flu. The Senasica said it issued license to import a vaccine from Asia to be distributed at the disease-hit states where the birds are being buried with due prophylaxis (quarantine, cull and vaccination) to contain the spread and get rid of the virus.



FAO also issued a call to check the outbreak since the bird flu virus is very aggressive, adding that its presence now enters Mexico in the WHO watch list though Mexican authorities claim the strain is not a threat to human poultry consumption.



--

Communicated by:

ProMED-mail rapporteur

Mary Marshall









[Avian influenza is capable of mutating. Swine are often the intermediate host which allows the flu strains to mutate and affect human beings. However, the virus has been known to mutate independent of other intermediate hosts.



So while this strain may not have immediate threat to humans, it is wise to be cautious of what is in the area.



While well cooked chicken may not have the virus, it will likely cause fear amoung consumers and affect the market.



Jalisco Mexico may be found on the interactive Healthmap at: http://healthmap.org/r/010B - Mod.TG]


http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php...120701.1186591

[Samen]

The Mexican government has declared a national animal health emergency in the face of an aggressive bird flu epidemic that has infected nearly 1.7 million poultry.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americ...117820989.html

[Kassy]

Published Date: 2012-07-12 09:10:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (43): Mexico (JA) high path H7N3, poultry
Archive Number: 20120712.1198514

AVIAN INFLUENZA (43): MEXICO (JALISCO) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY
************************************************** ************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org


[1]

Date: Wed 11 Jul 2012

Source: The Telegraph (UK) [edited]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-outbreak.html





Around 2.5 million birds at poultry farms in western Mexico have been slaughtered over the past 3 weeks in an attempt to contain an [avian influenza] outbreak, the country's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday [10 Jul 2012].



The virus responsible for the outbreak, H7N3, has occasionally caused human disease in various parts of the world, according to the United Nations, but has not shown itself to be easily transmittable between humans.



Officials visited 148 poultry farms, finding avian influenza in 31 farms, while 34 came up negative and results for the remainder were pending.



Of the 3.4 million affected poultry, "the number of birds that have been sacrificed as a control and eradication measure as of (Mon 10 Jul 2012) is 2.5 million," the ministry said in a statement.



The outbreak was first detected on 20 Jun 2012 in Jalisco state, and the Mexican government declared a national animal health emergency on 2 Jul 2012 in the face of the aggressive epidemic.



After importing one million vaccines from Pakistan, the farming officials said they have developed a seed-based vaccine that they will deliver to 4 laboratories to produce over 80 million doses initially.



Health officials keep a close watch on such outbreaks since so-called swine flu [influenza A/(H1N1) virus] broke out in Mexico in 2009. The H1N1 virus spread into a global pandemic that claimed the lives of 17 000 people.



--

Communicated by:

Ken Cokanasiga and

Mike Nunn




******

[2]

Date: Tue 10 Jul 2012

Source: Fox News Latino, Agencia EFE report [edited]

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/hea...inst-bird-flu/





A shipment of 1 million doses of vaccine from China will be used to inoculate chickens over the next few days to contain an [avian influenza] outbreak, Mexico's National Union of Poultry Farmers, or UNA, said.



According to UNA, the number of farms with a confirmed presence of the flu virus has increased to 29, 5 more than indicated in the previous report, so that the epidemic has now affected close to 2.5 million barnyard fowl in the western state of Jalisco.



In a communique, UNA said that the 1st doses of the vaccine have arrived in Mexico and will be applied to the poultry population most likely to catch the "highly contagious" H7N3 strain of avian flu.



They also reported that the flu has caused the deaths of "at least a million fowl" in the Jalisco municipalities of Tepatitlan and Acatic, either from the virus itself or because they were slaughtered.



According to UNA officials consulted by EFE, another 7 million doses of vaccine are expected to arrive over the coming weeks to immunize a large part of the country's poultry farms.



UNA figures show that Mexico produces close to 2.5 million tons of eggs and 1.2 million tons of feedlot poultry meat per year.



Jalisco contributes 55 percent of national production and by April 2012 had exported close to 4.49 billion pesos (USD 335 million) worth of fresh, powdered, liquid, and cooked eggs, according to estimates of Mexico's agriculture department.



The state governor, Emilio Gonzalez Marquez, said that "the spreading of the virus has diminished" because the infected farms have been kept in isolation.



Once the avian flu virus is eradicated, state and federal authorities will be able to launch strategies to repopulate poultry farms and start recovering the market, above all the US market, Gonzalez said.



The outbreak has already cost 1800 jobs in Jalisco, according to local farmers.



--

Communicated by:

Ken Cokanasiga and

Mike Nunn

[The outbreak is unfortunate for the Mexican economy and because of the impact it has on the people involved with the animals. We sincerely hope the workers responsible for both depopulation of the farms and for vaccination are using appropriate personal protective equipment to protect themselves from a virus that has the capability of affecting humans. The risk may be deemed small, but the consequences to human health would be real.



These 2 articles list a different number of vaccines from 2 sources, Pakistan and China, yet both articles list almost the same number of birds affected.



A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Mexico can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/2Dz3. - Mod.TG]




See Also

http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php...120712.1198514

[Kassy]

Some updates on the situation in Mexico:

3.8 million chickens destroyed so far. Mexican egg production will drop at least 10% maybe changing Mexico from Exporter to importer of eggs:

This article has many links to other news stories related to this event:
http://www.agrimoney.com/news/bird-f...rts--4764.html

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...ered-contain-h

[Kassy]

Published Date: 2012-07-30 13:51:41
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (48): Mexico (JA) high path H7N3, poultry, vac.
Archive Number: 20120730.1220354

AVIAN INFLUENZA (48): MEXICO (JALISCO), HIGHLY PATHOGENIC H7N3, POULTRY, VACCINATION
************************************************** **********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org


Date: Mon 30 Jul 2012

Source: The Poultry Site [edited]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultr...y-against-h7n3





Mexico has started to vaccinate 10 million chickens and hens in the central west state of Jalisco against the bird flu virus, El Universal newspaper reported.



According to GlobalPost, some 5 million birds have been slaughtered so far as authorities race to contain the outbreak of the highly-contagious H7N3 virus, which has cost the Mexican poultry industry some USD 50 million since it was 1st detected on 20 Jun 2012.



"Starting tomorrow [26 Jul 2012], we are going to vaccinate hens and chicks across the country to put an end to this bird flu epidemic," Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Wed 25 Jul 2012. The Mexican government declared a national animal emergency earlier this month [July 2012].



According to Agence France-Presse, President Calderon said Mexico aims to produce 80 million vaccinations so that "in the coming weeks, (we) can end this economic impact on poultry producers." Several laboratories have been tasked with making the vaccines.



Previous local media reports said bird flu had been detected at 33 of the 253 poultry farms in Jalisco inspected by the country's food safety watchdog, Senasica.



Senasica declared 82 farms to be free of the disease, while 138 have been kept under "strict surveillance."



Such outbreaks are monitored closely in Mexico since H1N1 began there in 2009 before spreading around the world and killing 17 000 people.



According to the UN, the H7N3 virus has occasionally caused human disease but has not shown itself to be easily transmittable between humans.



--

Communicated by:

ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Follow-up report No. 5 on its H7N3 outbreak was submitted by Mexico to the OIE on 25 Jul 2012, available -- with an interactive map -- at http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?...reportid=12147.



It includes the following epidemiological comments:



"As part of the surveillance activities and the epidemiological investigation carried out in response to the event, the National Food Quality, Food Safety and Health Service (SENASICA) continues the epidemiological sampling in the focal, perifocal and buffer zones. So far, 363 production units have been sampled. A total of 32 108 samples have been obtained, and 35 H7N3 viral isolates have been identified in poultry farms. The population at risk in these 363 production units amounts to about 17 million birds, of which 56.2 percent are of commercial layer farms, 29.2 percent of broilers, 7.44 percent of backyard poultry, and 7.16 percent of breeders.



The focal, perifocal and buffer zones still represent a total surface area of around 22 000 square km. During the depopulation activities in the poultry farms, around 3.8 million birds have been slaughtered and destroyed out of an affected 10.2 million bird population. Planned depopulation activities will continue. Control measures on the movement of birds, their products and by-products are still in place in the quarantine area.



Epidemiological surveillance activities continue in the focal, perifocal and buffer zones and a screening at the national level started in poultry and backyard farms. It includes around 17 000 serological and virological samples which will be processed in the official laboratories and will allow the maintenance of adequate supervision of the outbreak for its eradication. Current epidemiological parameters indicate an incidence rate of 24.58 percent, a mortality of 9.64 percent, and a fatality of 39.2 percent. As part of the measures to control and eradicate the virus, a temporary vaccine programme of birds at risk will be implemented through the production and application of an emulsified vaccine manufactured in Mexico by the official sector. Poultry farms in which the temporary vaccination would be authorized [and] prior risk assessment should eliminate the vaccinated birds at the end of their productive life." - Mod.AS

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1wvK.]




See Also

http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php...120730.1220354

Update on the situation in Mexico

[Kassy]

11 million birds slaughtered & Mexico is running out of eggs:
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/...ng_out_of_eggs

[Auburn Boy]

Originally Posted by Samen

The Mexican government has declared a national animal health emergency in the face of an aggressive bird flu epidemic that has infected nearly 1.7 million poultry.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americ...117820989.html

Infected?


KILLED!!!!

I was shocked to hear that there is an EGG shortage in Mexico this summer .

[Kassy]

http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/201...n-egg-shortage

It's actually quite bad for the poor for whom the eggs are an important part of their diet because they can't afford meat.

[Kassy]

Published Date: 2012-09-16 00:03:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (49) : Mexico (JA): high path H7N3, poultry
Archive Number: 20120916.1295933

AVIAN INFLUENZA (49): MEXICO (JA) HIGH PATH H7N3, POULTRY
************************************************** *******
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org


[1]

Date: 13 Sep 2012

Source: The Poultry Site [edited]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultr...-flu-outbreak=

-cost-industry-8615-million-pesos





Mexican Bird Flu Outbreak Cost Industry 8615 Million Pesos


-----------------------------------------------------------


Mexico - Latest analysis from the Mexican Poultry Association (UNA) says that damage to the poultry industry from the recent bird flu outbreak has cost over 8615 million pesos - around US$860 million. Over 22.3 million birds have been officially slaughtered and 7,688 jobs lost.



President of UNA, Crivelli Jaime Espinoza said that the cost to the industry came from decreased egg production, a fall in income and subsequently a loss in jobs. The study was conducted on behalf of UNA by the Associate Economics Group and is entitled: Ecomonic and Production Impacts of Avian Influenza in Los Altos in Jalisco. The outbreak not only affected the poultry industry, but also the whole country, as egg prices rocketed.



Mr Espinoza said the industry must now work together with the authorities, as was done during the outbreak, to compensate as soon as possible those who have suffered. The Mexican poultry industry is working hard to keep egg production up to guarantee supply, and beginning to repopulate flocks. Mr Espinoza has said that the government's support is crucial in helping the Mexican poultry industry recover to previous production levels.

--

Communicated by:

Mike Nunn



[2]

Date: 12 Sep 2012

Source: Hispanically Speaking News [edited]

http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews....details/mexic=

o-continues-to-kill-birds-hoping-to-curtail-spread-of-flu/18465/





Mexico Continues to Kill Birds Hoping to Curtail Spread of Flu


--------------------------------------------------------------


Mexico's poultry farmers slaughtered 22.3 million birds between June and August to contain an outbreak of avian flu, and they immunized 140 million other birds [poultry], the National Food Health, Safety and Quality Service, or Senasica, said.



The final tally of birds destroyed to prevent the spread of the AH7N3 avian influenza virus has been completed, the Senasica said. The avian flu outbreak started in June [2012] at poultry farms in the Los Altos region of the western state of Jalisco. No new avian flu cases have been reported in the past 3 weeks and affected farms are being restocked with "flocks of between 4.5-5 million birds each month," Senasica director Enrique Sanchez said.



The restocking of farms is expected to boost egg production to an average of 2700 tons daily, with output rising gradually as new hens are added, Sanchez said. Bird populations should be back to the pre-emergency level by November [2012], the Senasica director said.



A total of 22.3 million birds were destroyed between 19 June and 31 Aug 2012 of which 10.9 million were certified for slaughter by Senasica, while the rest were killed before health officials were notified of the flu outbreak, Sanchez said. "Some others were eliminated in a preventive manner by poultry farmers near where the outbreak started to prevent infections on their farms', the Senasica director said. The largest losses of birds occurred at farms in the city of Tepatitlan, with 13.6 million, and in San Juan de los Lagos, where 8.3 million birds were lost," Sanchez said.



The measures taken to control the spread of AH7N3 helped prevent larger losses and irreparable damage to Mexico's poultry industry, the Senasica director said. Health officials are now working to restock the poultry farms affected by the outbreak, as well as to restore supplies of poultry products on the market. A total of 12 343 health certificates have been issued so far to help speed the flow of poultry products to consumers.



The government also authorized the importation of 2000 tons of eggs from the USA and is working to import eggs from Costa Rica, Chile and Colombia. The avian influenza epidemic produced total losses of some $350 million, officials said recently.



The AH7N3 avian influenza virus does not pose a danger to people consuming [poultry] meat or eggs. Mexico, according to National Poultry Producers Association figures, produces nearly 2.5 million tons of eggs and 1.2 million tons of meat annually.



Note: More details on this outbreak and the response to it are available in the August issue of EMPRES Watch (see: http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/an395e/an395e.pdf).

--

Communicated by:

Mike Nunn

[Avian influenza in Mexico is clearly taking quite a toll on the economy, the poultry population, the egg production, jobs and of course, poultry themselves.



This outbreak has been continuing for several months now. A vaccine program was instituted several months ago. The impact of vaccination and culling of infected birds must be making an impact on the disease.



These articles indicate there is evidence of restocking so they must be just doing minor clean up now. Hopefully we can look for an end to this outbreak very soon.



Mexico maybe found on the interactive healthmap at: http://healthmap.org/r/3q3F - Mod.TG]




See Also

http://www.promedmail.org/direct.php...120916.1295933

[Kassy]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...bc7_story.html

No new cases for over two months so the outbreak is now officially over.