The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry said last night “health emergency” across the country, world’s leading exporter of poultryafter they have been new cases of avian flu have been found in wild birds. The measureThat will remain in effect for 180 days, aims to “prevent the disease from reaching subsistence and commercial poultry production, as well as to preserve wildlife and human health,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that it was “mobilizing resources” to prevent the spread of the virus. It has also been extended ban on poultry fairs, competitions and exhibitionsalready in force.
Yesterday, the Brazilian authorities announced that they had identified three new cases of bird flu, leading to eight the total number of cases reported since mid-May in the country, so far spared from the disease. All cases involve wild birds (seven in the state of Espirito Santo and one in Rio de Janeiro, in the southeast of the country).
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture from 2022, Brazil is the largest exporter of chicken meat in the world, with 35% of the market.
Avian influenza is causing high mortality in wild birds and poultrysuch as ducks and chickens. Thousands of birds died or were shot downhundreds of farms have been placed in quarantine and, in some cases, exports to South America have been canceled due to the spread of the virus since last year. Transmission to humans is rare and usually occurs through close contact with infected birds.
