New Central American Plan to Eradicate Low-Path H5N2 Bird Flu
CENTRAL AMERICA - Central American agriculture ministers and poultry organisations met in San Salvador at the headquarters for the International Regional Organisation for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) last week and developed a plan to eradicate low pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza from the region.
25 May 2016
2 minute read
By: H5N2 avian influenza was detected in Guatemala in 2000, and for the past 15 years has been controlled by sampling for the disease on commercial farms and family farms in rural areas.
With the implementation of the regional plan, it is intended to declare the entire region as a disease-free area in future. Thus, poultry products would have better access to international markets.
As part of the eradication plan, the various countries intend to collaborate on opening and closing cases of the disease, standardising testing across laboratories, outbreak control, and epidemiological surveillance on farms, backyard premises and wetlands.
During the meeting, the Regional Technical Committee on Avian Health also agreed on the proposal for the second phase of the Regional Programme for Backyard Poultry Health (PRESAAT).
The programme, executed by OIRSA, is aimed at small producers, developing measures for breeding, health and management of backyard birds. Its purpose is to support rural families in poultry production to improve food security and household economy.
