The Government will invest more than $1,000 million to beef up the controls before the eight cases of bird flu detected in several provinces.
The “budgetary reinforcement” includes laboratory equipment, inputs, computer equipment and human resources.
The Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, reported that they seek to defend a sector that represents some 350 million dollars in annual exports.
“A single case can complicate our exports, which is why it was decided to expand the powers regarding the work of the Ministry of Agriculture and Senasa in what has to do with virtual suspensions of income at the border,” said Massa, who clarified that “no there is a risk for the population and neither consumption nor production is being affected”.
“I want to leave a message to the producers: we have to face one of the worst drought in the last hundred years, and a drop in the weight of slaughter animals and the possibility of providing us with the case of Vaca Loca in Brazil, and the avian flu, at a time when the world needs Argentine proteins. The work between the government and the producers is key,” he said.
Massa was confident that “in this way these phenomena that climate change is causing us will be able to be dealt with.”
The investment will be allocated to laboratory and computer equipment, supplies and human resources
The Minister of Economy led a meeting with the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Juan José Bahillo; the president of Senasa, Diana Guillén; the vice president of Senasa, Rodolfo Acerbi; the Chief of Staff of the SAGyP, Juan Manuel Fernández Arocena; and the Undersecretary of Administrative Management, Rosendo Tarsetti.
Senasa is working in Santa Fe, Jujuy, Salta, Córdoba and Entre Ríos, on the border with Uruguay, strengthening controls and preventive measures.
Avian flu: recommendations from the Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health of the Nation maintained that the risk of transmission to humans is considered low and that the disease is not transmitted through food intake.
Avian influenza (AI) is a viral disease that affects both poultry and wild birds, and can occasionally affect exposed people, being caused by multiple subtypes (H5N1, H5N3, H5N8, etc.) whose genetic characteristics evolve. quickly.
Although transmission to humans is considered low, people can acquire bird flu primarily through direct contact with infected animals (live or dead) or their contaminated environments.
“The transmission of the virus to people occurs when the secretions or droppings of infected birds are inhaled or the virus enters the mouth, nose or eyes,” Salud said.
In turn, wild waterfowl are an important reservoir of influenza A viruses, and poultry populations can become infected through contact with wild birds.
On the other hand, the national ministry highlighted that “so far no sustained human transmission from person to person caused by avian influenza A(H5N8), A(H5N2), or A(H5N1) viruses has been reported, nor in the Region of the Americas or globally.
-Frequent hand washing with soap and water or use alcohol-based disinfectants.
-Avoid direct contact with wild birds and, if possible, only observe them from afar.
-Avoid unprotected contact with poultry that appear to be sick or dead.
-Do not touch surfaces that could be contaminated with saliva, mucosa or feces of wild or poultry birds.
Although transmission to humans is considered low, people can get it through contact with infected animals.
In relation to birds in large cities (sparrows, pigeons) the risk is considered very low since these birds have not shown to date to be very susceptible to the virus.
In the event of finding a sick or dead bird, avoid contact and notify the health authorities of the National Agri-Food Health and Quality Service (SENASA).
Currently, there are no restrictions on travel to areas affected by avian influenza. However, it is recommended that people traveling to areas with avian influenza outbreaks take the necessary preventive measures to avoid the risk of contracting the disease.
