ST. PAUL. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture declared yesterday evening a “health emergency” throughout the country, the world‘s leading exporter of poultry, after new cases of avian flu were found in wild birds. The measure, which will remain in force for 180 days, is aimed at “preventing the disease from reaching subsistence and commercial poultry production, as well as preserving wildlife and human health,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that it “mobilises resources” to prevent the spread of the virus. The ban on poultry fairs, competitions and exhibitions, which was already in force, was also extended.
Yesterday, Brazilian authorities announced that they had identified three new cases of bird flu, bringing to eight the total number of cases reported since mid-May in the country, which has so far been 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. Bird flu is causing high mortality in wild birds and poultry, such as ducks and chickens. Thousands of birds have died or been culled, hundreds of farms have been placed under 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.