A new report from the World Organisation for Animal Health reveals that H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in 17 commercial poultry flocks in Mexico.
Five of the affected flocks are in San Miguel El Alto, four are in Samahil and four are in Cajeme, while Uman, Bacum, Timucuy and Montemorelos have all had one confirmed case.
In all of the reported commercial cases birds exhibited clinical signs and lesions that were compatible with an HPAI infection. Mortalities were also reported at all but one of the affected farms. The majority of these cases were confirmed in November,
In each case, surveillance, quarantine and zoning measures are in place, while stamping out procedures will be conducted, as will the official disposal of carcasses, byproducts and waste.
Laying hen cases
Of the 17 reported cases, 15 of them involved commercial laying hens. That included all five cases in San Miguel El Alto, in the state of Jalisco. Those five flocks collectively involved 1,734,926 susceptible hens, 91,109 of which already died as a result of contracting the virus.
All four cases in Samahil, in the state of Yucatan, also involved laying hens. These cases collectively involved 1,736,040 susceptible hens, of which 3,023 already died from HPAI.
Three of the cases in Cajeme, in the state of Sonora, involved commercial laying hens. Among those, 15,104 birds died, while there was a total of 234,149 susceptible birds.
The Timucuy case, in the Yucatan state, 1,500 birds died, while 70,000 birds were susceptible. In Uman, also in Yucatan, 700 birds died while 90,746 birds were susceptible. The Montemorelos case, in Nuevo Leon, included 66,615 susceptible hens, 9,014 of which had already died.
Layer breeding hen case
A commercial layer breeding hen farm in Bacum, in the state of Sonora, was the site of an HPAI case in which all birds in a flock of 135,548 birds were reported to have died, according to the WOAH report.
Broiler breeding hen case
While three of the Cajeme cases involved laying hens, the other one involved broiler breeding hens. In this case, 2,000 chickens were reported to have died, and the flock included 112,489 susceptible hens.
Backyard flocks
Three cases of HPAI in backyard flocks in Mexico have also been recently reported to the WOAH. Those cases are in Zinacantepec, Juarez and Casas Grandes. Between those three farms, 12,514 birds were susceptible.
Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.
