Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) had been confined to wild birds since it entered Brazil on May 15 this year. However, on June 27, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that virus had been detected in a backyard flock in Serra, Espirito Santo, the state where the virus was first detected some six weeks ago.
The affected flock comprised ducks, geese, teals and hens, the ministry reported.
Sanitary measures have applied to contain and eradicate the outbreak and monitoring of the state’s domestic flocks has been stepped up. Depending on how successful these measures are, the ministry said, additional measures may need to be applied to stop the virus spreading.
To date, Brazil has recorded 50 HPAI outbreaks in wild birds across seven states. This outbreak in a backyard flock does not alter the status of Brazil’s poultry products in international markets, the ministry pointed out.
The position was echoed by local pig and poultry producers’ association, the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA,) which noted that under World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) rules, the local industry is still classified as free from HPAI, and that the virus has not been detected in commercial poultry production.
