The Ministry of Agriculture, Stock Breeding and Fisheries (LVV) is currently conducting an investigation in association with the Public Health Bureau (BOG) to determine which type and which variant of the virus killed the chickens. According to the authorities, the bird flu has only been detected at one poultry farm. The Veterinarian Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Stock Breeding and Fisheries took immediate action to contain the outbreak. Gianna Karg, deputy director at the Veterinarian Division, explained that the most important task at hand is “to contain the outbreak and to keep the virus from spreading within the local poultry sector”.

Teams from the Ministry of Agriculture, Stock Breeding and Fisheries, the Public Health Bureau and the National Coordination Center for Disaster Control (NCCR) have been active in the field since last Thursday. The police and the district commissioners have also joined the fight against the bird flu. A team has also gone to the Commewijne District because chickens had been transported from the poultry farm where H5 was detected to a duck farm in that district.

The authorities are currently trying to find out where the chickens contracted the bird flu. In the past couple of months several measures were taken to keep animal diseases out of Suriname. As part of these measures eggs from Europe and especially the Netherlands have been blacklisted. A batch of eggs that was imported despite the ban was seized and destroyed. Officials are also keeping a close eye on agrarian products and materials that are brought into the country via the border. The Ministry of Agriculture, Stock Breeding and Fisheries explained that most of the products that are needed are imported which is why it is necessary to beef up surveillance at the nation’s borders.

The BOG emphasized that the human samples that have been analyzed tested negative for H5. Nevertheless it remains essential to remain on high alert because bird flu viruses could jump to humans under certain circumstances. Especially people who work with infected and sick animals such as poultry farmers and their coworkers risk getting infected. The deputy director of Public Health, Richard Kartomo, urged the nation to remain on high alert and to be on the lookout for flu symptoms such as fever and coughing. People who have possibly come into contact with sick animals and who start coughing and having a fever are being advised to see a doctor. Edmund Rozenblad who works at the LVV Ministry explained that chicken meat can be safely consumed after it has been heated and cooked entirely and properly. He advised against eating raw chicken or chicken meat that has not been heated properly. The authorities urge poultry farmers to report any unusually high mortality rate and bird flu symptoms among their chickens at once. Poultry farmers must not move or destroy sick or dead chickens on their own but must wait for instructions from the ministry. The authorities made it clear that collaboration between poultry farmers, importers and the nation is important in order to keep the bird flu from spreading in Suriname.