Brazil announced on Wednesday that it is free of bird flu, allowing the country to restart chicken exports to China, the European Union, and 20 other nations after a month-long suspension.
The world’s largest chicken meat exporter had halted shipments following an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detected on a farm in Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. A subsequent case was also found at Brasilia’s zoo involving a pigeon and a duck, but this did not impact poultry export restrictions as it concerned wild birds.
The government confirmed it had notified the World Organisation for Animal Health that the mandatory 28-day quarantine period passed without new cases, officially declaring Brazil free of the disease.
Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro announced a phased restart of poultry exports, signalling a recovery for the country’s crucial industry.
Avian flu has caused widespread disruptions worldwide in recent years, prompting large-scale culling of poultry, several human fatalities, and increased egg prices. Although the virus can cause severe illness in humans, it does not easily transmit from person to person. Most human cases have involved direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments, according to the World Health Organisation.
