Test tubes labelled "Bird Flu" and eggs are seen in this picture illustration on Jan 14, 2023.CHICAGO - Avian flu has reached new corners of the globe and become endemic for the first time in some wild birds that transmit the virus to poultry, according to veterinarians and disease experts, who warn it is now a year-round problem.
On Wednesday , Argentina and Uruguay each declared national sanitary emergencies after officials confirmed the countries' first infections. Argentina found the virus in wild birds, while dead swans in Uruguay tested positive. "Avian flu is occurring even in a new poultry farm with modern equipment and no windows, so all we could do now is ask God to avoid an outbreak," said Shigeo Inaba, who raises chickens for meat in Ibaraki prefecture near Tokyo.
Indiana lost more than 200,000 turkeys and other birds over the past year, while total US deaths top 58 million birds, according to US government data, surpassing the previous 2015 record. While the virus can infect people, usually those who have contact with infected birds, the World Health Organisation says the risk to humans is low.