A violent outbreak of bird flu (avian influenza, attributed to the H5N1 variant) is causing very significant losses in various species of fauna in Peru. Unlike other similar cases in America and Europe, on this occasion experts have expressed concern about the fact that many cases are being detected in mammal species such as the Peruvian sea lion (Otaria flavescens).
The National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp), an agency attached to the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, published (February 6) a first balance of the situation indicating that at least 585 sea lions and about 55 thousand birds that have died in protected natural areas, victims of bird flu.
Sernanp has reinforced the deployment of its biological monitoring, surveillance and control protocol in the case of care for affected birds and wildlife in the area of ??protected natural areas located mainly on the Peruvian coast.
Given the health alert that our country maintains, due to the confirmation of H5N1 Avian Influenza by the National Agrarian Health Service (Senasa), Sernanp reported that the adoption of new health surveillance and control measures has intensified the presence of its specialist personnel. and park rangers who have registered the death of nearly 55,000 birds in eight protected natural areas of the coast.
The findings of these species have been made in the Lobos de Tierra Islands (Piura and Lambayeque), Lobos de Fuera Islands (Lambayeque), Guañape Islands, Corcovado Islet, Macabí Islands (La Libertad), Santa Island (Ancash), Asia Island, Grupo de Pescadores Islets (Lima), Ballestas Islands, Chinchas Islands, Punta San Juan, Punta Lomitas (Ica), Punta Atico (Arequipa) and Punta Coles (Moquegua) of the Guaneras Islands, Islets and Points System National Reserve.
Likewise, in the Illescas National Reserve (Piura); the Los Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge (Lima); the Ancón Reserved Zone (Lima); the Los Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary (Tumbes); the Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary (Arequipa); the Paracas National Reserve (Ica) and the San Fernando National Reserve (Ica).
The most affected bird species are mainly boobies, pelicans and guanays, followed by tendrils, Dominican gulls, Peruvian gulls and gray gulls. Also in Franklin’s gulls, red-headed vultures, cormorants, Humboldt penguins and others.
In recent weeks, avian influenza in birds has been identified as spreading to populations of sea lions in seven marine-coastal natural protected areas, registering 585 dead sea lions. Faced with this emergency, a first response team made up of experts from Sernanp and WCS have collected samples of the affected fauna, which were analyzed by the veterinary pathology laboratory of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.
The results obtained were positive for Avian Influenza H5N1 for the species of sea lions, Humboldt penguin, booby and oystercatcher. In addition, information has been shared between Minsa, Senasa, Serfor and Sernanp, in order to unify a nationwide database for prevention purposes and adoption of measures for the protection of health against avian influenza.
