MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile reports avian influenza at a turkey farm: all birds to be culled

Avian influenza (AI) was diagnosed in May 2002 for the first time in Chile and South America.

Chile has detected avian influenza H7 at a turkey production plant run by poultry producer Agrosuper in the country's central Valparaiso region. All affected birds (350,000) will be culled. No data regarding N type were given.

 Avian influenza (AI) was diagnosed in May 2002 for the first time in Chile and South America. The epidemic was caused by the highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) virus subtype H7N3 that emerged from a low pathogenic virus.

The index farm was a broiler breeder, located in San Antonio, V Region, which at the time was a densely populated poultry area. Stamping of 465,000 breeders, in 27 sheds, was immediately conducted.

Surveillance activities detected a second outbreak, 1 week later, at a turkey breeding farm from the same company. The second farm was located 4 km from the index case. Only 25% of the sheds were infected, and 18,500 turkeys were destroyed.