The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture reported the death of multiple birds in the municipalities of Cabo Rojo and Lajas, which may be related to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). A preventive quarantine has been established in one property, and surveillance has been reinforced in coordination with the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) and the Puerto Rico Department of Health.
Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez Torres emphasized that state and federal authorities are maintaining a coordinated response to address the situation and protect the health of birds and the poultry industry in Puerto Rico. The first investigation corresponds to a property in Cabo Rojo where approximately 20 ducks died out of a population of 35 birds.
A second situation is being investigated in Lajas involving different species of birds, including about 30 guinea fowl. Laboratory results are pending to determine the cause of the deaths and the necessary sanitary measures. Rodríguez Torres stressed that the presence of dead birds does not necessarily mean there is a positive case of avian influenza, and it is essential to wait for official results before drawing conclusions.
The Department of Agriculture urged farmers, poultry producers, and the general public to be vigilant and report any unusual bird mortality, particularly when multiple birds are found dead in the same place or over a short period.