Authorities and poultry farmers in Jalisco will launch an operation to prevent avian influenza

Guadalajara, Jalisco. Given the presence in Mexico of highly pathogenic avian influenza, and due to the importance that Jalisco has in the national poultry sector, federal and state authorities, as well as all those involved in the entity’s poultry production chain, will launch a prevention operation starting next week.

“The current situation warrants that all the actors involved, whether from the public sector or the productive sphere, be aware of their role in reducing risk situations in the mobilization of poultry products and by-products, such as chicken manure and poultry manure,” said the owner. of the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of Jalisco, Ana Lucía Camacho.

As part of the operation, a group of technicians will be deployed in the highest risk areas who will make the timely notification in case of detecting signs of influenza in birds.

In parallel, the official commented, some questionnaires will be carried out to identify the conditions of the production units in order to help and strengthen those who require it in minimum biosecurity measures.

Another of the actions included in the strategy is the epidemiological surveillance of migratory birds, mainly in lagoons and other bodies of water, where there is a significant influx of fauna that is a potential carrier of the viruses of the different varieties of influenza, according to Camacho. Seville.

For his part, the general director of ASICA (Agency for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality) of Jalisco, Eduardo Ramírez Orona, mentioned that among the agreements reached, the fact that poultry farmers’ associations support the identification of backyard units stands out. that are close to modernized farms, to publicize the disease and the risks of its spread in the poultry industry, as well as to identify it in case of suspicion of the disease.

Jalisco is a national leader in poultry production, so the state has earmarked 12.5 million pesos this year for production units in that sector, mainly for health and modernization.

Jalisco ranks first in the country in egg production with 1.6 million tons per year, representing 54.2% of national production, with the Los Altos region being the most productive in this sector.

According to official data from the Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP), Jalisco has 700 poultry production units and an inventory of 140 million birds.

According to a study prepared by the Group of Associated Economists (GEA), the highly pathogenic avian influenza AH7N3 that affected the poultry farms of Jalisco, generated the sacrifice of 22 million birds and economic losses to the sector for 8,617 million pesos.