Cuba strengthens measures against avian influenza in the country

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Feb 21 (ACN) Specialists and health authorities in Santiago de Cuba(eastern Cuba) are urging to strengthen measures to prevent the penetration and spread of avian influenza, a disease caused by the influenza virus type A, which belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family.

Milka Fernandez, head of the Animal Health Department in the province, told the Cuban News Agency that in March, birds start migrating from the southern to northern areas, which is a reason to increase surveillance of backyard animals, since they may come into contact with some migratory wild birds.

Constant monitoring of the international evolution of the disease, knowledge of the main species affected and the measures implemented by the World Organization for Animal Health are among the actions applied in the southeastern territory.

In addition, work is being done to reactivate the intersectoral groups to confront influenza and to identify the gaps in poultry units, in order to minimize the links between wild birds and those in production, she said.

Fernandez explained that the indiscriminate movement of these animals in the territory is prohibited, as well as their sale, and recommended primary producers to take extreme biosecurity measures, to keep the birds semi-confined and to avoid contact with sick or dead poultry.

The National Center for Animal Health (Cenasa), of the Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed earlier this month the presence in Cuba, for the first time, of avian influenza, variant A (H5N1), specifically in captive wild birds located in the Zoological Garden of Havana, known as Zoo 26, located in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolucion.

The country's health authorities assured that since the avian influenza has manifested itself, so far, in captive wild birds and not in poultry, Cuba maintains its free status of that disease.