At least two cases of Avian influenza coming out of the Blue Creek area were confirmed this afternoon.
What does it mean for Belize's poultry industry - and what's going to be done to contain it?
We spoke to the Chief veterinary officer at BAHA this afternoon via Zoom who told us that the tests were taken three weeks after symptoms appeared - so they detected antibodies - showing that the virus had been present:
Dr. Miguel DePaz, Chief Veterinary Officer, BAHA
"The results for the antibodies are in an hour and a half ago, they're in and, they are positive. They are positive for Avian Influenza, so at this point we are acting on 2 positive results now, the actions are supported - whatever actions we take are supported by science positive in the United States and positive here. Now to control a disease, the time factor is serious. 3 weeks has elapse and if we allow more time to elapse the thing could get out of hand. So we are meeting tomorrow, BAHA is meeting with the poultry people tomorrow to set the way forward, but I must tell you time is a factor regardless of the pathogenicity of the virus, there are different options - there are some stringent actions and the more stringent, the best for the industry."
So, as you heard, the clock is ticking on the containment strategy. Depaz told us that already a thousand birds have been lost:
Dr. Miguel DePaz, Chief Veterinary Officer, BAHA
"From 25,500 birds they are down to about 24,000, so have lost over one thousand birds. The pathogenicity we don't know what it is despite the mortality only being 4% maybe, that is already alarming, regardless of what anybody says. You don't want to lose a thousand birds."
Jules Vasquez
"But for you all it is urgent that it be contained on that one farm?"
Dr. Miguel DePaz, Chief Veterinary Officer, BAHA
"It's actually 2 farms. We have detected another farm. We sample another farm that was having some problems in Shipyard and that farm came out positive also."
Jules Vasquez
"Is there any idea of where this may have originated?"
Dr. Miguel DePaz, Chief Veterinary Officer, BAHA
"I can be candid here. That one farm we called it the index farm which is in Blue Creek, had an importation of hatching eggs from the United States. Now we can suspect that the origin might be the US, but when we do the genetic sequence of the virus we will know."
Jules Vasquez
"As a containment measure, at some point you all will probably will have to do what is called a depopulation."
Dr. Miguel DePaz, Chief Veterinary Officer, BAHA
"I want to believe so, Jules. My personal opinion on that, that is the nest measure to take. It might have impact on both BAHA, the government and the industry, but the longer run in the future it will pay off."
Of course that is a drastic measure with many implications - so we'll see what the final decision is coming out of the Ministry of Agriculture.
