Published Date: 2012-06-24 17:24:25
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (39): Mexico (JA), poultry, H7, quarantine
Archive Number: 20120624.1178714
AVIAN INFLUENZA (39): MEXICO (JALISCO), POULTRY, H7, QUARANTINE
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Thu 21 Jun 2012
Source: El Universal [in Spanish, trans. Mod.JG, edited]
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/854965.html
The National Service of Agro Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA, according to its Spanish initials) reported that signs indicating the presence of an H7-serotype virus causing avian influenza were found in 3 farms in Tepatitlan and Acatic in Jalisco State, so strict sanitary control measures and a preventative quarantine have been declared in the affected areas.
The decentralized entity from the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA, according to its Spanish initials), revealed that immediate actions were taken in order to protect the region's agriculture from the H7 virus, which is normally found in wild birds and has a worldwide distribution.
"The virus does not affect humans or pigs or other domestic animals, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)", declared the aforementioned entity in a press release, assuring that eggs, meat, and other poultry products are safe and emphasizing that poultry products from the surveyed area, as well as from other parts of the country, are free of the H7 virus.
They also pointed out that OIE does not establish any restriction for consuming poultry products from farms declared free of H7 virus, even in regions where the disease may be present.
SAGARPA emphasized that surveillance and verification are being carried out in poultry farms, with the participation of representatives from the poultry industry, in order to certify that their products are free from any pathogen. They insisted that appropriate laboratory tests are carried out in every farm for verifying that both eggs and poultry meat are free of any pathogen. "Mexico has been free from the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus since June 1995," they said and added, "We currently have a permanent surveillance program for this infection, and sampling is carried out in every federate entity, including technified production units, backyard chickens, fighting cocks, and slaughterhouses. During 2011, 315 604 samples were processed."
[Byline: Julian Sanchez]
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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; influenza H9 virus has been identified only in a "low pathogenicity" form. Each of these 3 avian influenza A viruses (H5, H7, and H9) theoretically can be partnered with any one of 9 neuraminidase surface proteins; thus, there are potentially 9 different forms of each subtype (such as, H5N1, H5N2, H5N3, H5N9).
This is unlikely to be the highly pathogenic strain; nevertheless, most countries do not advocate eating the animals. However, in many countries, this amounts to taking food out of the mouths of people who may not be able to afford the loss of the animal, or the meal.
H7 infection in humans is rare, but can occur among persons who have direct contact with infected birds; symptoms may include conjunctivitis and/or upper respiratory symptoms. Nevertheless, vigilance of this disease is important. Low pathogenic diseases in birds can mutate to the highly pathogenic form.
Portions of this comment were extracted from
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/avian-influenza.htm. - Mod.TG]
See Also
2011----
Avian influenza (47): Germany (NW) LPAI, H7, update 20110531.1663
Avian influenza, poultry - Netherlands (02): (GE) LPAI H7, OIE 20110515.1479
Avian influenza (LPAI), poultry - USA: (MO) - H7, OIE 20110402.1019
Avian influenza (LPAI), poultry - Netherlands: H7, OIE 20110325.0951
2010
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Avian influenza (LPAI), poultry - Netherlands: H7 20100516.1601
Avian influenza (LPAI), poultry - Denmark: H7, OIE 20100313.0813
2009
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Avian influenza (53): Spain (CM) HPAI, H7, OIE 20091014.3539
Avian influenza (LPAI), poultry - USA (KY): H7 20090405.1314
2008
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Avian influenza (97): Mexico (Veracruz), LPAI, RFI 20080925.3039
Avian influenza (73): UK (England), H7, HPAI 20080605.1796
Avian influenza (72): USA (AR), LPAI H7 20080604.1782
Avian influenza H7 - North America: human receptor 20080527.1728
2007
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Avian influenza, H5N2, turkeys - USA (WV) (02): OIE 20070403.1133
2006
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Avian influenza, H5N2 - Mexico 20060108.0064
2005
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Avian influenza, human - East Asia (138): WHO review 20051003.2892
Avian influenza - Mexico (Durango) 20050407.1009
2004
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Avian influenza, H7 serotype, poultry - Canada (BC)(02) 20040221.0557
Avian influenza, H7 serotype, poultry - Canada (BC) 20040220.0548
and other items in the archives
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