Bird Flu Kills Hundreds of Seals, Sea Lions in Brazil

2023-12-13

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1
  • Brazilian officials say bird flu has killed nearly 1,000 seals and sea lions in the country's south.
  • 2
  • As of December 11, the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul had confirmed 942 sea mammal deaths.
  • 3
  • The animals were infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu.
  • 4
  • The first cases of the sickness were reported in Brazil in 2023.
  • 5
  • During past outbreaks in Europe and America, agriculture industries have killed hundreds of millions of farm animals to try to contain the disease.
  • 6
  • Officials at Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said preventive measures were put in place after the first report of bird flu in May.
  • 7
  • This action made it possible to avoid an outbreak on poultry farms.
  • 8
  • That kind of outbreak, officials say, would have likely led to a ban on such exports from Brazil, the world's top chicken exporter.
  • 9
  • Silvina Botta studies oceans and sea life at Brazil's Rio Grande Federal University.
  • 10
  • She told Reuters news agency the remains of dead animals need to be buried or burned as soon as possible to prevent further disease spread.
  • 11
  • Scientists have found some sea mammals convulsing along local beaches, as the virus attacks their nervous system, Reuters reported.
  • 12
  • Botta said that under government health rules, the animals must be killed immediately to prevent their suffering.
  • 13
  • Botta added that the first case of bird flu-related sea mammal deaths in the area came in September.
  • 14
  • That is when local scientists first became aware of a large increase in disease deaths.
  • 15
  • Three towns in the state still have active bird flu outbreaks.
  • 16
  • Botta said the spread among sea mammals appears to have started in Peru and then reached the South American continent.
  • 17
  • The disease has also affected wildlife in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
  • 18
  • Brazil's Agriculture Ministry has reported 148 bird flu outbreaks in the country, mostly along the coast.
  • 19
  • Officials have declared a health emergency to contain the disease, which it says "is not yet considered endemic in Brazil."
  • 20
  • The virus has also affected other animal populations in the country.
  • 21
  • In addition to the outbreaks among seabirds, seals and sea lions, researchers have collected remains of dead porpoises and penguins found on beaches.
  • 22
  • Officials say they have not yet confirmed those deaths were also from bird flu.
  • 23
  • I'm Bryan Lynn.