Brazil's Bird Flu Emergency Extended

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock today announced it had extended the declaration of an animal health emergency for 180 more days across the country due to the identification of outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, mainly in wild birds.

This measure enables the implementation of preventive policies to protect commercial birds from contamination by the disease, also known as avian influenza.

Brazil initially declared an animal health emergency on May 22, 2023, a week after the first detection of contaminated migratory wild birds. Within six months, 139 outbreaks have been identified.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health protocol, as there have been no cases of commercial birds, Brazil maintains its status as an H5N1-free country.

Due to the virus's high mutation and adaptability capacity to new hosts, H5N1 represents a risk mainly to international trade in poultry products. It occasionally poses a threat to human and animal health. Brazil holds a 35% share of the global chicken meat market and is the world's largest exporter.

Although no human disease cases have been reported in Brazil, data from the Pan American Health Organization in 2023 indicate cases in the Americas, including the United States, Chile, and Ecuador.

As of November 9, 2023, bird flu outbreak news is posted by Precision Vax.

Furthermore, the U.S. FDA has approved various avian influenza vaccines since 2013, with newer bird flu vaccine versions approved in 2023.