Chile has further strengthened is avian influenza (AI) protection measures following the detection of the H5N1 virus strain in the Valparaiso region – home to significant poultry production.
As has happened in several countries in Latin America, the disease re-emerged in the Chile late last year in seabirds. Prior to this latest detection, however, all outbreaks had occurred in areas without significant poultry production.
Chile was declared free from AI in early 2020 and, while there are yet to be any reports of the virus entering backyard or commercial flocks, the country’s agriculture and livestock service (SAG) reports that it is receiving ever more notifications of sick or dead seabirds.
Commenting late last year on the return of AI, Juan Carlos Dominguez President of the meat exporters’ association ChileCarne, said: "The speed of detection and alert system allow us to quickly respond. The team at SAG carry out permanent monitoring and, since the strain emerged in the U.S., we have redoubled our efforts, particularly in seabirds. For many years, white meat producers and exporters have implemented biosecurity measures in the face of the disease returning."
Growing industry at risk
Chile produced 675,162 metric tons (MT) of chicken meat and 71,614 MT of turkey in 2021. The country’s chicken meat exports are thought to have risen by 11% in 2022 to stand at 214,000 metric ton, and to have increased in value by 28%. Turkey meat exports are thought to have risen by 25% to stand at 30,000 MT.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.
