Dominican Republic Government fighting bird flu

The government of the Dominican Republic has announced the creation of a commission to help control and eradicate bird flu.

According to Agriculture Minister Ángel Estévez, the commission will work to boost poultry production, and enable the country to maintain its sanitary standards free of the disease, and to monitor the outbreak detected in the northern section of the country.

Specialists requested

The Agriculture Minister disclosed that US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the International Regional Organization for Animal Health (OIRSA), the Inter-American Agriculture Cooperation Institute (IICA), among other institutions, have been asked to provide specialists to manage the disease and work together with local technicians to eradicate the outbreak.

Concerning the outbreak, Estevez said that the avian flu detected in a farm in the northern province of Espaillat is under control, with the international protocols applied.

Measures taken to control outbreak

“Among the measures taken to control the outbreak, the birds and eggs were eliminated, surveillance and monitoring measures were implemented in an area of 5 kilometers around the outbreak, including epidemiological tracking and maintenance of the quarantine,” he said.

Bird flu, also called avian influenza, is a viral infection that can infect not only birds, but also humans and other animals.

H5N1 is the most common form of bird flu.

It’s deadly to birds and can easily affect humans and other animals that come in contact with a carrier.

For a guide to combating colds and flu, click the link: Your family’s guide to cold and flu season