Ecuador reports three birds dead from avian flu in Galapagos

QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador’s Galapagos National Park (PNG) on Tuesday said that three birds had died of avian flu, prompting officials to activate biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of the virus spreading across the archipelago.

“Preliminarily, of the five specimens examined, three of them have tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza,” PNG said in a statement, adding that samples were sent to Guayaquil for confirmation.

The Galapagos has approximately 78 species of endemic and native birds, according to the PNG, many of which migrate to continental Ecuador. Last year the country declared an emergency due to outbreaks of avian influenza on farms in the Andes.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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