Bird flu kills 164 marine mammals in the south of the country – 10/21/2023 – Environment

At least 164 wolves and sea lions were found dead on the beaches of a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul due to bird flu, local authorities announced this Friday (20).

In recent days, the carcasses of 164 wolves and sea lions were collected, Santa Vitória do Palmar City Hall informed AFP, which attributed the death of the animals to the bird flu virus.

The animals were found along 45 km of the coast and are being buried to prevent new infections, the City Hall highlighted. The site is about 20 km from the border with Uruguay, where the death of around 400 wolves and sea lions was recently reported, also attributed to bird flu.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock announced at the beginning of the month the first outbreak of the disease in marine mammals in the country, on Cassino beach, also in Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil, however, maintains the status of a country “free from avian influenza , as there is no record of the disease in commercial production”, highlighted the government.

Countries such as Peru, Chile and Argentina have also recorded deaths in their marine fauna due to the virus, which causes serious muscular, neurological and respiratory problems. Although contagion in humans is uncommon, authorities recommend that people do not approach dead or sick animals, and that they keep pets away from outbreaks.