CaribVet
Especialistas en enfermedades porcinas del Caribe, así como representantes de diferentes organizaciones (USDA, CENSA, CIRAD, FAO, OIRSA, OIPORC) y ministerios del Caribe, participarán en la sexta reunión del grupo de trabajo de enfermedades del cerdo de la red regional CaribVET. Dicha reunión se llevará a cabo en el hotel Chateau Miramar, en La Habana Cuba del 3 al 5 de agosto del 2016.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N2 affecting turkey and egg producing flocks in the upper Midwest in United States last year, has been considered the most severe emergency animal disease experienced by the United States. From March through to mid-June 2015, the HPAI subtype H5N2 infection was responsible for the depletion of 35 million laying hens, approximately 4 million replacement pullets and 7 million turkeys.
As part of the “One Health, One Caribbean, One Love” project, funded by the European Union, co-funded by the 10th European Development Fund SPS Project and implemented by the University of the West Indies (UWI)’ a training workshop was held in Saint Lucia, aimed at strengthening the ability of the veterinary services and livestock producers to recognise, diagnose and respond to animal and zoonotic diseases.
PRESS RELEASE (St. George’s, Grenada) 12 April, 2016 - “The Caribbean Animal Health Network, CaribVET, continues to work in earnest with its partners to safeguard the animal and veterinary public health of the Caribbean region”, affirmed Dr Kathian Hackshaw, Chair of the Steering Committee of CaribVET, at the network’s annual Meeting held in Grenada, 4-6 April 2016.
Following the recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in North America and Canada, Barbados has increased wild bird surveillance and has put measures in place to improve biosecurity within the poultry industry. As part of their preparedness, they have also begun strengthening the capacity of their Veterinary Services Laboratory (VSL) to perform molecular diagnostics targeting avian influenza.
CaribVET was well-represented at this important forum on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics which is considered one of the biggest conference in this domain worldwide. Several papers of the network and the Epigenesis project were accepted as oral and poster presentations (see CaribVET contributions and abstracts)
By Pastor Alfonso, CENSA, member of the Avian Diseases Working Group, 19/1/2016
The presence of highly pathogenic H7N8 avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The outbreak appeared the 16th January, 2016 in a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana.
USA already experienced a number of influenza outbreaks in 2015. However the strain involved in this outbreak is different from the strains that circulated in 2015
There are no known cases of H7N8 infections in humans.
According to reports to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the global impact of both Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI), in terms of loss of poultry and the number of countries reporting through the first two quarters of 2015, have exceeded the entire year of 2014. About 5.6 more poultry were lost from infection or depopulation due to exposure to the avian Influenza virus (AIV) and twice more countries reported the disease in poultry compared to 2014.
Earlier this year, the Directorate General for Livestock (DIGEGA) of the Dominican Republic has declared the country free from avian influenza (AI).
Belmopan. September 9, 2015.
A case of Rabies in a 6-month puppy living in Cayenne (French Guiana) has been diagnosed by Pasteur Institute (Paris).
The dog was hospitalized at a veterinary clinic for nervous symptoms (convulsions, aggressiveness, visual loss and difficulties with movement) and died.
The virus isolated is a Lyssavirus, of Rabies virus (RABV) species and of bat rabies type. An epidemiological investigation is ongoing to identify all contacts with humans and other animals. A regulated zone has been established to strengthen surveillance.
Center for Disease Control (Atlanta, USA) reported a human infection with a variant Influenza A virus of pig origin, i.e. an Influenza virus normally circulates in swine and not people.
Since 2005, 354 cases of H3N2v have been reported in the US and other variant influenza (H1N1v) have also been reported. Most of the human infections result from exposition to infected pigs and some cases of limited person-to-person spred have occured.
Canada Food Safety Agency has reported to the OIE first occurence of Blutongue virus, serotype 13 in one Cattle farm in Ontario Province. There were no symptoms associated with the detection and laboratory results and epidemiological investigations are supportive of a past infection locally aquired.
The report precises that serotypes 2, 10, 13 and 17 are endemic in the USA.
More inforamtion: read the OIE Report
The Commonwealth of Dominica is known for having a river for each day of the year. Sadly, this week it also became known as the Caribbean island devastated by Tropical Storm Erika.
Belmopan, Belize - by Miguel Depaz (CVO)
No new premises positive for Avian Influenza Low Pathogenic H5N2 have been detected since 5 june 2015, when one layer flock situated in a hot spot of a declared infected area tested positive.
Press Release, July 10, 2015
Caribbean veterinary officials and members of the poultry sector are on high alert and have been working tirelessly to scale up the preparedness planning to prevent the introduction and spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
Belmopan, Belize:
No new premises positive for Avian Influenza Low Pathogenic H5N2 have been detected since 5 june 2015, when one layer flock situated in a hot spot of a declared infected area tested positive.
H5N2 has been reported in one commercial layers farm in Sinaloa State (on the Pacific coast of Mexico) following epidemiological surveillance activities. Low pathogenicity was confirmed at the laboratory with intravenous pathogenicity index.
Epidemiological investigation have been started on farms situated in a 10 km radius distance from the infected farm to test the status. To date, no other evidence of virus circulation has been found.
This virus strain is not new to Mexico and has been reported in the past.
Roseau, 31 July 2015
