PR’s only case of bird flu, in Culebra, is contained

After a suspicious sample from a bird on a farm in Culebra tested positive on Jan. 8 for the presence of the H5N1 virus, an administrative order was issued the next day temporarily prohibiting the movement of poultry between Culebra and the main island. The restriction was officially lifted last Saturday after tests carried out on backyard birds inside and outside the control zone did not detect any additional cases.

By The Star Staff

The island Agriculture Department announced Wednesday that the only case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) detected in Puerto Rico has been identified and contained in the offshore island municipality of Culebra, preventing its spread to the main island.

Agriculture Secretary Josué Rivera Castro stressed that the rapid action of the government and citizen cooperation were key to stopping the advance of the virus.

“The case of bird flu identified in Culebra was an isolated case and was contained without affecting other regions of the country,” Rivera Castro said in a written statement.

“The immediate response of local and federal agencies, including the Department of Health and the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture], following the instructions of Governor Jenniffer González, were fundamental to this result,” he added.

On Dec. 30, 2024, the Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Services Laboratory received a suspicious sample from a bird on a farm in the Frailes neighborhood of Culebra. On Jan. 8, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus, leading to the issuance of an administrative order on Jan. 9 temporarily prohibiting the movement of poultry between Culebra and the main island.

Tests carried out on backyard birds inside and outside the control zone did not detect any additional cases, allowing the restriction to be officially lifted last Saturday, Feb. 1, once international eradication and epidemiological surveillance protocols were completed.

During the process, the island Agriculture Department received multiple reports of suspected cases in other municipalities, all of which were handled by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service teams and local staff, with no new infections found.

Puerto Rico’s agriculture chief emphasized that a state of constant vigilance is being maintained to protect local agriculture and urged poultry farmers and citizens to report any unusual activity in domestic or wild birds to 1-866-536-7593.