Indea-MT controls avian influenza outbreak after six days of intensive surveillance.

The Mato Grosso Agricultural Defense Institute (Indea) concluded last Friday (22) the actions of confrontation, surveillance and sanitary education in Acorizal, after the confirmation of the presence of the High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (IAAP) virus in a rural property with subsistence poultry. The activities were concluded after six days of continuous work, a period considered decisive for the containment of the outbreak.

The team coordination was based at the Amâncio Ramos Municipal School, where daily alignment meetings and strategy definition sessions took place. At the final meeting, the technicians presented the results of the measures adopted to prevent the spread of the virus. In total, 339 birds were culled and 282 eggs were destroyed as part of the disease control protocol.

The actions were concentrated within a 10-kilometer radius around the property where the outbreak was confirmed. Within this perimeter, 314 rural properties were visited by Indea teams, who inspected 7,253 birds.

According to João Marcelo Néspoli, coordinator of Animal Health Defense at Indea, the work involved not only inspecting the animals but also providing direct guidance to producers. “During these visits to the properties, which we call active surveillance, we conducted health education to guide producers to be attentive to signs of bird mortality and to contact us if they suspect the presence of the Avian Influenza virus in domestic birds. In addition, we inspected the birds on the premises to check if any showed symptoms of the disease,” he stated.

Disinfecting the area

The rural property where the outbreak was identified underwent complete cleaning and disinfection. The sanitary barrier installed at the site has already been...

The structure was dismantled, and the area entered a 45-day sanitary break, during which time the presence of birds is prohibited, as stipulated by the sanitary protocol.

Team mobilization

The work involved a large staff structure. Ten teams were mobilized for active surveillance, one team dedicated to the sanitary barrier, another for direct action at the outbreak site, and a coordination team. In total, 31 Indea employees participated, including 15 veterinarians and 16 inspectors.

The operation also had the support of two veterinary doctors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and military police officers. During the six days of uninterrupted work, staff from the units in Cuiabá, Lucas do Rio Verde, Pontes e Lacerda, Cáceres, Rondonópolis, and Barra do Bugres were mobilized.

Rapid response to federal alert.

The completion of the actions in just six days is cited by Indea as indicative of the State's technical capacity to deal with sanitary events of this nature. The protocol is activated as soon as the Ministry of Agriculture confirms the diagnosis of the disease, carried out by the Federal Laboratory of Agricultural Defense (LFDA), in Campinas (SP), a national reference for the laboratory analysis of poultry samples.

After confirmation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) issues an alert to the State for the immediate adoption of emergency measures and informs the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about the occurrence of the disease in the national territory. Following this notification, it is the responsibility of the state animal health agency to execute and conclude the containment actions.

Origin of the outbreaks in subsistence poultry.

According to Indea, the three cases of avian influenza in backyard poultry registered in Mato Grosso in the last six months — in Campinápolis, Cuiabá, and Acorizal — had the same origin. In all cases, the virus was introduced through contact with wild birds, especially wild ducks known as paturis.

Investigations revealed the presence of ponds and flooded areas near the properties, used as stopping points by infected wild birds. Contact between these birds and domestic animals ultimately facilitated the transmission of the virus.