Brazil, the world’s top chicken meat exporter, has officially declared itself free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) after a 28-day quarantine period with no new cases detected, its agriculture ministry announced.
The bird flu outbreak, which began at a farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, had forced Brazil to temporarily halt poultry exports to major markets including China, the European Union, and several Latin American countries.
A separate case was also detected at Brasilia’s zoo, where a pigeon and a duck were found dead. However, since this incident involved wild birds and not farmed poultry, it did not trigger further export restrictions.
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Under current trade rules, China and other importing countries suspended chicken imports from Brazil, responsible for 39% of the global poultry trade, until steps are taken to contain the disease and prevent its spread to other commercial chicken farms.
Brazil has now notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) that the outbreak is over and has begun preparations for a gradual resumption of poultry exports, Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said. It plans to resume exports with its trade partners, but that will require talks with each one of them, Favaro added. Reclaiming Brazil’s status as free from HPAI is not automatic and must be confirmed by the WOAH, according to guidelines from the body.
Bird flu continues to spread globally, causing mass poultry culls, human infections, and rising egg prices. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that while human infections are rare, they can cause severe disease and have a high mortality rate.
