Collection of Dozens of Bird Carcasses Infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at Meighan Wetland in Arak
The commander of the environmental protection unit of Central Province announced on Thursday, November 27, that 251 bird carcasses infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza were collected from areas surrounding Meighan Wetland in Arak during the current week.
According to IRIB News Agency report, Abbas Joudaki stated that the infection of these birds with highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed by the veterinary department of Central Province, and announced the sanitary burial of the carcasses along with lime powder spraying.
Mr. Joudaki, noting that access to Meighan Wetland area in Arak is prohibited until further notice, urged citizens not to touch bird carcasses under any circumstances if they spot them, and to report the matter to the environmental protection and veterinary authorities for follow-up.
According to the commander of the environmental protection unit of Central Province, the majority of bird deaths at Meighan Wetland in Arak are among grey geese, but several species of ducks and coots have also been found among the dead birds.
According to a report from the website of the General Directorate of Environmental Protection of Central Province, Meighan Wetland, located 15 kilometers northeast of Arak, is a habitat for 208 species of birds, and annually 90 species of migratory birds enter this wetland, with cormorants forming the majority of them.
The director general of environmental protection of Central Province had announced on November 16 that more than 16,000 birds migrated to Meighan Wetland this autumn.
Meighan Wetland also experienced an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2016, with more than 2,400 bird carcasses collected from the surface of this wetland.
In 2017, this disease occurred to some extent among the birds of this wetland, but did not result in serious deaths like the previous year. In 2018 and 2019, no cases of this disease were reported in this area.
Avian influenza is a zoonotic disease whose virus is mostly transmitted to humans through contact with sick birds or feces of sick birds, although rare cases of human-to-human transmission have been documented in this disease.
Source: Radio Farda
