Ministers belonging to the Mexico’s agricultural ministry have denied the presence of any bird flu infection across the U.S. border. 'We are free of highly-pathogenic bird flu,' said Jose Angel del Valle, the ministry's animal health director.
Rumors regarding bird flu infection were raised in the U.S. commodities markets, leading to a reduction in the grain prices. A Brazilian web site had reported about the death of a duck, in the town of Nogales, near Arizona, sparking fears of a bird flu outbreak. However, livestock markets regarded it to be nothing more than a hoax, said the traders.The Minster further stated that the country was well equipped to monitor for any bird flu outbreak in the local poultry farms. Additionally, strict regulations were imposed on import from other countries, to minimize chances of contracting bird flu. The country produces nearly 6 million chickens a day to meet the export and domestic demand.
Several isolated cases of bird flu (low-pathogenic bird flu) had been reported by Mexico, last year. No human cases of bird flu were however documented. Recently, an isolated case of bird flu has been reported near the Guatemalan border, in the southern state of Chiapas.
