The H7N3 strain was confirmed on 8 January, reports the US National Chicken Council. Mexican authorities reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health that nearly 300,000 birds have been culled as the initial step in stopping the spread of the virus.

Aguascalientes is near Jalisco, where an avian influenza H7N3 outbreak emerged in June 2012. The virus in Aguascalientes was found to have 99 per cent similar genetics to the one that hit Jalisco last year.

SENASCIA, the Mexican national health, food safety and quality service, said that six million doses of the vaccine developed for use in Jalisco last year will be used on the seven poultry farms in the vicinity of the outbreak at the egg farms in Aguascalientes. NCC reports that Mexican authorities are hopeful that the quick response, and having a vaccine immediately available, will make this new outbreak less widespread then the Jalisco outbreak, which caused the culling of approximately 25 million birds.

Further Reading You can visit the Avian Flu page by clicking here.