The outbreak was detected on 21 July and 24 July, and the company was placed under a quarantine preventing the movement of birds. Around 512,000 birds have been culled, a statement from Sinaloa said.

According to the Uruguayan newspaper Republic, the officials said Sinaloa's borders were closed to the import and export of poultry products to prevent the virus from spreading, but there is little risk of the outbreak spreading to other farms.

The authorities said the critical point was that the detected virus is low pathogenic.

"It's a farm with laying birds, there is no risk to human health, there is no reason to expect an increase in the product price," said State Coordinating Officer of Health, Januario Ríos de los Núñez.

Meanwhile, Ernesto Echeverría Aispuro, Mexico's Secretary of Health, explained that this infection in poultry has no effect on humans, but advised people to avoid eating products from this particular farm.

"There is no confirmation that this virus can pass to humans; it would be something quite extraordinary if any human could spread this virus," he said.

"In the event that there was such a problem, it would have to result from a virus mutation, and from direct contact of a person with the bird, which is more likely where there is overcrowding, and in Mexico we do not see this phenomenon as much as in Asian countries, where people live with birds," said the expert.

Further Reading

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