Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 panorama in Argentina, including the Americas and global context

Abstract

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has recently become an object of attention and concern within the community, due to its devastating effects on the poultry industry as well as on the health of domestic and wild birds. The first diagnostic confirmation performed by the National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (SENASA) took place on February 14, 2023 in the Province of Jujuy. Since then, to those official preparedness actions being implemented from 2022 by the national veterinary service along with other Organizations and stakeholders, further response actions were added for increasing and deepening preventive surveillance, additionally to implement procedures aimed to contain the occurrence of further cases upon the concept of the immediate response, and to reinforce biosecurity measures in poultry establishments and farms.

This article presents a current state of play of the HPAI in Argentina nowadays, the modes of transmission of the disease, the clinical signs and its possible consequences on public health. At the same time, it offers information on SENASA's actions related to prevention, control and eradication aimed at the recovery of the sanitary status, and the key role of risk communication.