Mexican authorities thus far have culled 2.1 million chickens exposed to avian influenza, which has spread to 18 farms in the state of Guanajuato. Senasica, Mexico’s national agricultural health and quality service, has said it has inspected 35 chicken operations in Guanajuato and four million birds, of which 1.3 million were deemed not to be infected by the H7N3 virus.
Senasica Director Enrique Sanchez Cruz said that some 22 million birds have been vaccinated since the outbreak was confirmed on February 18 and that the vaccine “has functioned extraordinarily well.” Guanajuato is the third state to be affected since the outbreaks began last year. Guanajuato is adjacent to Jalisco, the first state to report highly pathogenic avian influenza and where 23 million birds were slaughtered, the other was Aguascalientas, also adjacent to Jalisco.
Meanwhile, Mexico has suspended its poultry exports for six months to normalize prices and avoid market distortions.
