El Niño phenomenon, not bird flu, is the cause of death of hundreds of birds in Mexico

The El Niño weather phenomenon, which produces unusual warming of Pacific waters, is the most likely cause of the deaths of hundreds of birds that were reported last week in seven coastal states of Mexico, authorities said Thursday, who ruled out bird flu infections.

The National Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality Service (Senasica), which reports to the Ministry of Agriculture, said on Saturday that it was investigating the deaths of some 300 Pacific shorebirds found in a period of three days, on suspicion that may be cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

“The animals are considered to have died of starvation.”, Senasica said in a statement.

The service indicated that the excessive warming of the sea caused by El Niño “it causes fish to go down to the depth in search of colder waters, a fact that prevents seabirds from hunting for food”.

The investigation revealed that more than 90% of the affected birds are grey-backed shearwaters, although other endemic species such as gulls and pelicans were found.

Senasica officials did not immediately respond to Reuters inquiries on the matter.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in wild and poultry birds in several countries in the region, and Brazil declared an animal health emergency last month over the risks the virus poses to its gigantic poultry industry.

The El Niño phenomenon, declared globally active this month by US meteorologists, is wreaking havoc in various parts of the world and earlier this year produced torrential rains in parts of northern Peru.

In South America, authorities in Peru and Chile have also detected hundreds of dead shorebirds in recent months, although the causes have not yet been explained.

Source: Reuters