The avian flu, also known as the bird flu or H5N1, has been located in Mexico and affected more than half-million livestock.
According to Mexico's agricultural agency, SAGARPA, an outbreak of the bird flu was found in up to 582,000 chickens across seven farms in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.
SAGARPA confirmed that the National Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA) security laboratory technicians found the presence of H7 bird flu virus at the seven farms.
SAGARPA Secretariat Enrique Martinez said his agency has distributed over one million doses of the avian flu vaccine to prevent the flu from spreading to other farms.
The news of the bird flu outbreak affected Mexico's biggest chicken producer Industrias Bachoco SAB. Stocks fell for the chicken company by 2.1 percent at the end of Mexico City's trading day, snapping a seven-day positive streak.
"If they confirm the outbreak, they are going to have to kill all the hatching chickens," Gustavo Teran, an analyst with Mexico City-based Corp. Actinver SAB, said in a telephone interview, via Bloomberg.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), key facts about the avian flu include it as an infectious viral disease among birds that can trigger potential pandemic concerns since it affects poultry and as a result effect global economies and international trade.
WHO also noted the odds of humans catching the disease is rare but still possible with direct or indirect exposure of infected poultry, either dead or alive.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "The reported signs and symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from eye infections (conjunctivitis) to influenza-like illness symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches) to severe respiratory illness (e.g. pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia) sometimes accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and neurologic changes."
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
