Ministry: No Bird Flu outbreak

The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources yesterday said “initial diagnosis” has suggested that aspergillosis — a fungal infection — was responsible for the deaths of several birds at a farm in Cumuto. In a release, the ministry said a team from its Poultry Surveillance Unit visited the farm and confirmation of this is expected later with the analysis of samples taken from the site and submission of a report by the investigating team. The samples will be tested at the ministry’s veterinary laboratory. “Aspergillosis is not transmitted from bird to bird, nor from birds to humans, but is contracted from the environment. At present the disease appears to be restricted to one farm.”

Although aspergillosis does not pose a serious health threat to humans, the ministry described as “extremely irresponsible the failure of the affected farmers to notify the Poultry Surveillance Unit of suspicious poultry deaths, especially in light of the country’s current Bird Flu alert.” Health Minister John Rahael yesterday said it was irresponsible of the farmers and contractors not to report to the Ministry of Agriculture “as they were suppose to legally.” He was “confident” that the deaths of the chickens were not caused by Bird Flu because there have been no reports of H5N1 (the strain of Avian Influenza which infects both birds and humans and is fatal to both) in the Caribbean. “The ministry has already acquired the necessary vaccine and medication should it ever reach here.”

Additional information provided by the ministry stated that aspergillosis is a common infection of birds and occasionally other animals and man.
It most frequently occurs when birds are exposed to large numbers of aspergillus fungal elements through the respiratory tract. Wet, warm, humid conditions can contribute to the growth of the fungus. In the bird’s environment, fungi can grow on bedding, feed, and on or in eggs. The warm temperatures in incubators or the brooder house are ideal for mould growth. While mould growing on feed litter is not ideal, the “real danger” is when fungi begin producing many spores. The dry, fine, dusty litter or feed readily transport spores directly into the upper and lower respiratory tract, where conditions are ideal for fungus to grow. Severe inflammation in the nasal passage, eyes, trachea, lungs and air sacs cause the bird to die from suffocation.