MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bird flu: US/Chile coordinate detection in Tierra del Fuego

A United States delegation from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (Department of Agriculture) visited Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego to coordinate efforts with their Chilean counterparts in preventing the appearance of invasive pathologies, particularly avian influenza (H5N1 strain) or bird flu.

The four member US delegation of experts toured most of the areas of Tierra del Fuego where migratory birds rest or nest, according to the season, and later explained they would be working with their Chilean counterparts and preparing them to work with samples that can help assess and detect, in the event of the appearance of avian influenza cases in the region. Carlos Rowland head of the Chilean Agriculture and Livestock Service, SAG, said that the meetings with most of the SAG delegates from Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego were "most positive and productive". "Basically APHIS will help with the training and orientation of our fauna and livestock experts to help detect invasive pathologies, such as avian influenza", said Rowland. The head of SAG added that the links with APHIS dates back to 2006 during a seminar on invasive and harmful fauna, "when the US delegation expressed to us their concern with avian influenza; that is why they were so keen to visit the Bahía Lomas area which is possibly Tierra del Fuego's main birds migratory area". Rowland said that the blood and fluid samples would be flown to a special lab in Santiago which is equipped for such sophisticated tasks. "For the United States, according to APHIS, avian influenza is a national security problem. They are on the watch and constantly monitoring cases and coordinating with different countries helping to prepare experts that can effectively and actively detect the advance of the pathology". But Rowland also pointed out that APHIS will also help with other possible invasive factors such as the Canadian beaver or other species that present a risk for the ecosystem of Chilean Patagonia. Finally Rowland said the US delegation had praised the infrastructure and equipment of SAG, particularly the molecular-genetics lab which is ideal for diagnosing avian influenza. "A new space of knowledge and collaboration has been opened which means we have been doing a good investment of our resources and also underlines that SAG is updated in the control of invasive fauna and the use of molecular genetics".