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Uruguay declared a nationwide health emergency Friday after detecting highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in backyard poultry, officials said.
The Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry, through the General Directorate of Livestock Services, confirmed the outbreak in Colonia, a department in the southwest.
The emergency followed a spike in bird deaths that first raised concern. An initial rapid test came back negative, but follow-up lab analysis confirmed the virus was present.
Authorities ordered a nationwide "interdiction of the affected establishment" alongside strict movement restrictions on non-commercial birds.
The emergency directive restricts all domestic movement of backyard and uncontrolled birds, while exempting those registered under the official Poultry Monitoring System.
The resolution also suspends fairs, auctions and public exhibitions related to avian species. Authorities ordered that free-range and backyard poultry must be confined to "enclosed, covered facilities" to prevent contact with wild birds.
Sanitarians have initiated the slaughter and safe disposal of all exposed birds at the affected site, alongside extensive cleaning and disinfection of potentially contaminated materials.
For poultry producers, the ministry recommended "extreme" biosecurity measures, such as restricting the entry of unauthorized people or vehicles, protecting water and food sources from wild birds, and reinforcing disinfection protocols.
Officials emphasized that consuming poultry meat or eggs poses no risk to human health, though agricultural teams are coordinating with health authorities to monitor exposed individuals.
Avian influenza A (H5N1), a highly pathogenic subtype that primarily infects birds but can rarely be transmitted to humans via close contact, carries a high mortality rate in humans, though sustained human-to-human transmission has not been documented. The public is urged not to handle dead or sick birds.
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