A backyard poultry flock in Navarro, Argentina, has tested positive for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to information from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The country’s veterinary authorities investigated after receiving reports of unusually high bird deaths and symptoms such as lethargy, breathing difficulties, reduced appetite, lower egg output, and discoloration of crests and wattles.
The mixed flock, consisting of 451 hens, water hens, ducks, pigeons, geese, and turkeys, was confirmed infected through laboratory testing. All birds were subsequently culled, the premises disinfected, and biosecurity measures reinforced.
This event follows a similar outbreak just two weeks earlier in the town of Lezama, where 530 birds, including hens, roosters, ducks, pigeons, geese, and peacocks, were affected. That location’s proximity to water sources led authorities to suspect contact with wild birds as the likely origin.
Both towns are situated in Buenos Aires province. These cases mark a setback for Argentina, which had been considered free of HPAI in commercial flocks since February 2024 and officially free of the disease in all poultry since February 2025.
