Peru: SERNANP Reports At Least 585 Sea Lions & 50,000 birds killed by Avian Flu

[Michael Coston]

Peru: SERNANP Reports At Least 585 Sea Lions & 50,000 birds killed by Avian Flu


Credit SERNANP


#17,276

Yesterday, in SENASA: Peru Confirms H5N1 In 3 Sea Lions and A Dolphin, we saw the official announcement that 3 dead sea lions, recovered last November, had died from the avian flu virus. What that statement did not tell us, is that hundreds more have died since then, presumably also from H5N1.

Whenever we see a report of a terrestrial or marine mammal that has been infected by (or has died from) HPAI H5N1 in the wild, we must assume there are likely others that were not located, or tested.

The current USDA report (see below) on H5N1 infected mammals (n=110) is almost certainly an undercount, as are reports from other countries.






Yesterday, Peru's custodial agency for protected natural areas - SERNANP - released the following (translated) statement citing nearly 600 sea lion deaths, and the deaths of tens of thousands of birds. Again, this is almost certainly an undercount, as many birds and mammals die unseen in remote or inaccessible areas.

National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State

Sernanp deploys a monitoring protocol for cases of birds and sea lions affected by avian influenza in protected natural areas

Press release

At least 585 sea lions and about 55,000 birds have died in protected natural areas, victims of Avian Flu.

February 6, 2023 - 4:17 p.m

The National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp), an agency attached to the Ministry of the Environment, reinforces the deployment of its protocol for biological monitoring, surveillance and control in the case of attention to affected birds and wildlife in the area of protected natural areas located mainly on the Peruvian coast.

Given the health alert that our country maintains, due to the confirmation of H5N1 Avian Influenza by the National Agrarian Health Service (Senasa), Sernanp reported that the adoption of new health surveillance and control measures has intensified the presence of its specialist personnel. and park rangers who have registered the death of nearly 55,000 birds in eight protected natural areas of the coast.

The findings of these species have been made in the Lobos de Tierra Islands (Piura and Lambayeque), Lobos de Fuera Islands (Lambayeque), Guañape Islands, Corcovado Islet, Macabà Islands (La Libertad), Santa Island (Ancash), Asia Island, Grupo de Pescadores Islets (Lima), Ballestas Islands, Chinchas Islands, Punta San Juan, Punta Lomitas (Ica), Punta Atico (Arequipa) and Punta Coles (Moquegua) of the Guaneras Islands, Islets and Points System National Reserve.

Likewise, in the Illescas National Reserve (Piura); the Los Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge (Lima); the Ancón Reserved Zone (Lima); the Los Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary (Tumbes); the Lagunas de MejÃa National Sanctuary (Arequipa); the Paracas National Reserve (Ica) and the San Fernando National Reserve (Ica).

The most affected bird species are mainly boobies, pelicans and guanays, followed by tendrils, Dominican gulls, Peruvian gulls and gray gulls. Also in Franklin's gulls, red-headed vultures, cormorants, Humboldt penguins and others.

Sea lions

In recent weeks, avian influenza in birds has been identified as spreading to populations of sea lions in seven marine-coastal natural protected areas, registering 585 dead sea lions. Faced with this emergency, a first response team made up of experts from Sernanp and WCS have collected samples of the affected fauna, which were analyzed by the veterinary pathology laboratory of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

The results obtained were positive for Avian Influenza H5N1 for the species of sea lions, Humboldt penguin, booby and oystercatcher. In addition, information has been shared between Minsa, Senasa, Serfor and Sernanp, in order to unify a nationwide database for prevention purposes and adoption of measures for the protection of health against avian influenza.

Anything else:

• The Sernanp, in its role of authority of the Natural Protected Areas, is preparing a diagnosis and monitoring guide for the attention of the sanitary conflict during the emergency caused by said virus.
• If any person observes the presence of animals visibly affected or with signs of disease or dead in one of the PNAs, they should avoid handling them. It is recommended to notify the park rangers.

There are also reports that a lion has died from H5N1 at a zoo in central Peru. Sadly, lions, tigers, and other captive large cats have a 20-year history of being infected with avian flu (see here, here, and here) since they are often fed raw chicken.

Although much of the toll avian flu is taking on wildlife (avian and mammalian) goes unreported, HPAI H5N1 continues to expand its global reach, and the number and type of non-avian hosts it can infect.

While none of this guarantees that H5N1 is on a trajectory to becoming a pandemic threat, it's far from being a reassuring sign that it won't.


https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2023/...t-585-sea.html

[Treyfish]

SERFOR urges the population to avoid contact with wild animals because they may be infected with influenza A H5N1

Press release
After the presence of the virus in sea lions was confirmed, SERFOR, SENASA and MINSA are working to prevent infections in humans and reduce the impact on wildlife and domestic fauna

February 7, 2023 - 1:39 p.m.


Lima, February 7, 2023.- The National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) urges the population to avoid any type of contact with sea lions and seabirds (pelicans, seagulls, guanayes, boobies and others) that They go out or are on the beaches and rocky areas; and, likewise, that other people or domestic animals (such as dogs) come close.

During the first days of this year, in the department of Lima, SERFOR registered an increase of about five times in the number of stranded sea lions with respect to previous years at the same time, mainly on Asian beaches. , Chorrillos, Cerro Azul and Chilca. From January 17 to February 5, 2023, 239 reports that entered through the SERFOR Alert have been addressed.

Faced with this unusual situation and given the health emergency decreed by the National Agrarian Health Service (SENASA) in November 2022 -which is still in force-, SERFOR coordinated with the Genomics Laboratory of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). to carry out the molecular diagnosis of Influenza in six specimens of sea lions (Lima, Asia, San Bartolo and Ancón).

In this way, it was determined that in three of the six cases the positive presence of influenza type A H5N1 in sea lions was verified, a highly pathogenic variant that is the same that affected wild seabirds (pelicans, boobies, among others). others) last year.

Actions in progress
SERFOR, together with SENASA and the Ministry of Health, work in coordination to undertake the respective actions within the scope of their powers. In this sense, SERFOR carries out a series of training sessions with the municipalities of Lima and Cañete, in which recommendations are offered to prevent the spread of this virus.

In order to take immediate preventive measures, municipalities have been asked to establish perimeter fences on the beaches of their jurisdictions to avoid having contact with the affected wolf or bird.

The population is asked not to touch these wild animals, not to try to feed them, take them to another place, let alone return them to the sea, because they can become infected and spread the virus. In view of the sighting of sea lions stranded on the seashore, the population is asked to report these cases to the SERFOR Alert number, 947-588269 (written messages only), with photos of the animal, its location, a contact person and concise and brief information to offer timely attention.

Data
· In mid-2022, the United States recorded AH5N1 Avian Influenza in seals with massive mortality.
· At the end of the same year, an AH5N1 Avian Influenza outbreak was reported in a mink farm in Spain, suggesting that the virus was possibly able to spread from wild birds to mammals and later between them. Despite this, no infected workers were registered on the farm.
· In January 2023, in Russia, cases of seals infected with Avian Influenza AH5N1 were recorded. While in February of the same year there were several cases in the United Kingdom detected in foxes and otters.



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