Brazil confirms first bird flu outbreak in commercial poultry farm

Brazil confirmed its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial poultry farm located in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.

This marks a significant development for the world's largest poultry exporter, which had previously reported cases only in wild birds, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has implemented a contingency plan aimed at eradicating the disease while maintaining the sector’s productive capacity to ensure food security. The outbreak has been reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), as well as to Brazil’s Ministries of Health and the Environment and its trade partners.

In response to the outbreak, China has suspended poultry imports from Brazil for 60 days. Brazil is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of poultry, accounting for 14 per cent of global chicken meat production. The country had recently experienced a surge in egg exports to the US, increasing over 1,000 per cent due to a concurrent egg shortage caused by bird flu there.

The Brazilian agriculture ministry emphasized that poultry meat and eggs remain safe for consumption, with limited risk of human infection under normal circumstances. The risk of human infection by the avian flu virus is low and occurs mostly among handlers or professionals who have close contact with infected birds (alive or dead).

Brazil's agriculture ministry also said the disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs.

Brazilian chicken exports have previously faced resistance over sanitary concerns. In 2018, the European Union temporarily banned imports of chicken from 20 Brazilian plants due to concerns about salmonella. Brazil brought the case to the World Trade Organization.

By Vafa Guliyeva