Poultry farmers in Mexico have culled nearly 22.3 million birds between June and August 2012 and immunized 140 million birds, in order to control the outbreak of avian flu, according to National Food Health, Safety and Quality Service, or Senasica.
Senasica noted that it has completed the final count of birds culled to prevent the spread of the AH7N3 avian influenza virus.
Senasica director Enrique Sanchez said that no new avian flu cases have been reported over the past three weeks and affected farms are being restored with flocks of between 4.5 million and 5 million birds each month.
The restocking of farms is likely to boost egg production to about 2,700 tons every day, with output rising gradually as new hens are added, Sanchez said.
In June, the authorities detected the virus in cities of Tepatitlan and Acatic in Mexico's largest chicken farming state Jalisco, where 11% of the country's poultry meat and 50% of its eggs are produced.
In order to prevent the outbreak of the disease to other parts of Mexico or other states, the country initiated a national emergency plan. The government ordered vaccinations from Asia and is developing its own vaccines to fight the flu. Strict controls were also been put in place on the transportation of poultry, poultry products and other animals.
