The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture has confirmed that two Cabot’s terns, found on the coast of the south-eastern state Espirito Santo, were infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, sparking alarm throughout the poultry industry.
While the small state of Espito Santo accounts for less than 0.7% of the birds slaughtered in the country each year, and there remain no reports of H5N1 being detected in commercially produced birds, that the virus has entered the country is an obvious concern for poultry producers, particularly as neighboring countries have seen infection in wild birds eventually spread to commercially produced poultry. While the state's contribution to chicken production is small, it is a major egg producer.
Samples from the two terns, which were found last week over 150 km apart, were sent for testing to a World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) reference laboratory in Sao Paulo, which subsequently confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus.
Export status should remain unaffected
Brazil is the world’s largest poultry meat exporter, and the Ministry has stressed that detection of the virus does not affect the country’s classification as free from H5N1. It has reminded WOAH members that they should not place restrictions on Brazilian poultry meat exports.
The Brazilian Association for Animal Protein, ABPA, has similarly stated that detection of the two infected seabirds should not impact trade in Brazilian poultry products. The association went on to state that the Brazilian industry follows the most strict biosecurity protocols and that the supply of product will not change. It also adds the monitoring at both private and public levels is being stepped up.
Brazil is the latest South American country to record cases of avian affluenza with cases having cogently been recorded in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile amongst others.
Last year, Brazilian exports of chicken meat were worth US$9.7 billion.
