Brazil confirms first ever avian flu cases in wild birds

Summary: Brazil has confirmed its first cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in wild birds, which should not lead to a ban on imports of Brazilian poultry products according to the guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). Although the virus can kill entire flocks of birds and cause losses for the farming sector, Brazil’s status as a country free of HPAI is not affected because the cases were detected in wild animals. Brazil is the world’s top chicken exporter, and its main importers of chicken products are China, Japan, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia. The executive of Brazil’s largest chicken exporting company, BRF, said the company is prepared for any scenario, and relies on Brazil’s “robust” animal health services to prevent and contain any potential threats to industrial poultry farms. Although humans have the ability to contract avian influenza, cases are rare and transmission from human to human is unlikely. To read the full article, click here. To learn more about influenza, click here.