MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil: Avian influenza case confirmed in Porto Alegre

Brazil has been monitoring avian flu since the 2000s

Brazil's Agriculture and Livestock Ministry confirmed Friday the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on a commercial poultry farm in Montenegro, in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul.

The outbreak was detected on a breeding farm, leading to the isolation of the area and the culling of remaining birds. Since 2006, the virus has been circulating especially in Asia, Africa, and northern Europe.

The Ministry insisted that avian flu is not transmitted through poultry meat or egg consumption, assuring the safety of these products. The risk of human infection is low, primarily affecting those with direct contact with infected birds. “The Brazilian and world population can have peace of mind regarding the safety of controlled products, with no restrictions on their consumption,” The Ministry said in a statement.

Steps have been implemented to contain the outbreak, ensure food safety, and maintain production capacity. The case was reported on Monday, when samples were collected and sent to a laboratory in Campinas, in the State of São Paulo, which confirmed the diagnosis. “The measures are aimed not only at stamping out the disease, but also at maintaining the sector's productive capacity, guaranteeing supply and thus the population's food security,” it was also explained.

In this scenario, Brazil has notified international organizations and trading partners, with China, Argentina, and the European Union suspending chicken meat purchases for the time being, Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro confirmed.

The South American country has been monitoring avian flu since the 2000s, with cases previously reported in wild and backyard birds since 2023, but this is the first commercial farm case. A 10-kilometer radius around the outbreak site is under investigation, and the Brazilian Veterinary Service continues surveillance and preventive measures.

“Over the years, in order to prevent this disease from entering the Brazilian commercial poultry system, various actions have been taken, such as monitoring wild birds, epidemiological surveillance in commercial and subsistence poultry farming, constant training of technicians from official and private veterinary services, health education actions and the implementation of surveillance activities at the points of entry of animals and their products into Brazil.

These measures have been crucial and have proved to be effective and efficient in delaying the entry of the disease into Brazilian commercial poultry farming over these almost 20 years,” the Ministry also pointed out.