The Ecuadorian authorities began vaccination against bird flu this Friday with the application of the first 4 million doses that arrived in the country, after about 1.2 million birds were lost, among them killed or euthanized due to various outbreaks. infectious.
Vaccination began at a poultry farm in Puéllaro, in the north of Pichincha, a province whose capital is Quito and which is one of those affected by the 17 outbreaks of avian flu detected and controlled so far on farms in the country, according to a statement. the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
The other provinces with registered outbreaks are Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Azuay, Imbabura and Bolivar, where the case of a 9-year-old girl was infected.
The Vice Minister of Rural Development, Andrés Suárez, affirmed that they are taking the necessary measures to support the poultry sector in Ecuador and anticipated that “vaccination will continue in the provinces where there were positive cases of the virus.”
Vaccination will be carried out on farms that comply with the implementation of biosecurity measures, are registered with the Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad), have a veterinarian responsible for the farm and have negative diagnostic test results.
In addition, technicians from Agrocalidad and the PIATER Project, from the Ministry’s Undersecretary for Innovation, support poultry farmers with technical assistance and advice, as well as the survey, verification of biosecurity measures and registration of farms to be part of the vaccination.
The Technical Subcommittee of the National Poultry Farming Commission analyzed the five initial vaccine proposals, two of which meet the technical requirements and are authorized for importation and supply in the country.
The executive director of Agrocalidad, Patricio Almeida, recalled that avian influenza is not an isolated event in Ecuador, but is present in the American continent and its spread is intensified by migratory birds.
The Ecuadorian government extended until May 27 the declaration of animal health emergency decreed last November due to the appearance of the first outbreaks. A second batch of 10 million doses of vaccines against bird flu is also authorized, after the first of 4 million that began to be applied this Friday.
EFE
