The country's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) issued the measure following the detection of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus on a farm in Cotopaxi province, northern Ecuador.
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During the next 90 days, the movement of poultry, poultry products and by-products such as eggs, hens, chickens, among others, will not be allowed from farms affected by the outbreak of avian influenza subtype H5, said the MAG.
Through its official Twitter account, the Ministry said that MAG head, Bernardo Manzano, told Ecuavisa television network, "The avian influenza outbreak does not affect humans. The consumption of eggs and chicken meat is guaranteed."
According to Manzano, a total of 180 000 infected birds will be slaughtered. This figure represents 0.15 percent of national poultry production.
In Ecuavisa Minister Bernardo Manzano informed that the avian influenza outbreak does NOT affect humans. Consumption of eggs and chicken meat are guaranteed. 180 thousand infected birds will be slaughtered, representing 0.15% of the national poultry production.
In response to the outbreak in Cotopaxi, "an epidemiological fence of 1 kilometer was activated and 30 technicians are applying sanitary protocols to prevent the spread of the disease," said the Minister.
The first case of H5 avian influenza in the country was detected last Sunday, November 27 by Agrocalidad, the Agency for Regulation and Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Control in a poultry production farm in the province of Cotopax.
All control protocols of the National Avian Influenza Contingency Plan have been activated. Quarantine, surveillance and sampling of the poultry population susceptible to infection in the area are included in the response plan.
In Ecuador, the poultry sector generates 1.8 billion dollars a year, or more than 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Agricultural Product.