BAHA Says Private Vet Refused to Adhere to Laws Regarding Diseased Bird

News Five has received a report about a several exotic birds that have died, purportedly after the owner contacted the Belize Agricultural Health Authority requesting tests be done, but BAHA refused. In their own defense, BAHA has countered that they only received one sample from a veterinarian treating one bird and not enough information to do more. BAHA says it is the law that vets separate animals suspected of having disease and inform authorities.

Dr. Miguel DePaz

Dr. Miguel DePaz, Director, Animal Health Department, BAHA

“That clinic was providing the veterinary services to a client, the owner of the peacocks. And that clinic wanted us to do a test on the bird – the one peacock that was there. When you provide a sample to our clinic, you have to give us all the relevant information. All we got were samples from that peacock. Actually, our technicians went out to that clinic to get the sample. The BAHA attending veterinarian could not get the necessary information. For some reason, there was lack of information from that private clinic to the authority. And actually this morning I sent out a notification of diseased animal document to every veterinarian and every animal health technician, the authority sent out this document telling people that it is by law, it is in the BAHA Act, Item fifty-three, one, that any veterinarian, any animal health technician, any person that suspects a diseased animal needs to separate that animal and inform the authority. And given this event now, I sent out a reminder to every practitioner.”