Japan has extended its temporary ban on poultry exports from the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo to include Santa Catarina, following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock in the country’s second-largest poultry exporting state.
On July 15, an outbreak of HPAI was detected in a mixed backyard flock in Maracajá, Santa Catarina. Since then, Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture has been at pains to point out that the outbreak does not affect the country’s official status as free from HPAI, and in particular, has sought rapidly reassure the Japanese authorities.
It notes that none of the birds in the latest outbreak, the second in a backyard flock, were reared to be transformed into products, adding that the likely route of infection was via wild birds attracted to a small expanse of water on the premises, close to where the mixed flock was raised.
It adds that the premises was isolated from the day of the official veterinary services’ first visit and that entire flock was slaughtered, the birds’ remains destroyed and subsequently buried.
Major supplier of poultry meat
The country’s poultry and pig producers’ industry association, the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) has pointed to the ministry’s efforts to monitor and control the disease and says that it regrets the Japanese decision.
It adds that Santa Catarina’s monthly shipments to Japan represent less than 3% of the total exported by Brazil, and that it is hopeful that processing plants in other states will be able to substitute the exports that have been lost by Santa Catarina.
Unlike Espirito Santo, where the first outbreak in a backyard flock was detected, Santa Catarina is a significant poultry producing state. In 2022, it accounted for 14.5% of total meat production in the country, and 21.85% of exports.
