About 9,000 marine animals affected by bird flu
Bird flu has plagued Chile’s northern coast since early 2023 and nearly 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters and small cetaceans have already died.
The disease is present in 12 of Chile’s 16 regions.
AFP
Nearly 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters and small cetaceans have died in Chile since the start of the year due to bird flu that is hitting the country’s northern coast hard, the National Fisheries and Ocean Service announced Thursday.
To date, 7,654 sea lions, 1,186 Humboldt penguins, an endangered species that only nests in Chile and Peru, 25 sea otters, 19 porpoises, 12 Chilean dolphins and one Chilean otter have died off the country’s shores. Press release.
The disease is present in 12 of the country’s 16 regions, he adds. The latest species to suffer is the Chilean otter, an example of which recently washed ashore in the southern Magellan region.
A human case
“With the confirmation of a new species and a new region, active coastal surveillance protocols are being implemented, coordinating the burial of stranded animals with competent authorities to avoid the spread of the virus,” pointed out the executive director of Cernapesca. , Esteban Donoso.
The northern coastal areas of Chile were the most affected. Last weekend, more than 227 sea lions and 45 Humboldt penguins were found dead on beaches in the Sanaral region. In late March, a 53-year-old man in Chile contracted bird flu. Transmission to humans is rare and usually occurs through close contact with infected animals. Chile has also detected the virus in wild birds.
AFP
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