What Brazil’s bird flu-free status means for global chicken exports
Brazil has declared itself free of bird flu and says it will restart poultry exports after a month-long pause.
The announcement follows the end of a 28-day monitoring period with no new outbreaks of the virus, according to the agriculture ministry.
Exports were suspended in May after a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed at a commercial farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of chicken meat, had to stop shipments to key markets including China, the European Union, and several Latin American countries.
A second case was later found in wild birds at the zoo in Brasilia, but it did not trigger new export bans as it was not linked to poultry farms.
Officials said the outbreak was fully contained and reported the recovery to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said poultry exports will resume gradually. Brazil plays a major role in the global poultry market, supplying chicken to more than 150 countries.
Bird flu has spread across several continents in recent years, forcing the culling of millions of birds and pushing up food prices.
Although human cases remain rare, the World Health Organisation has warned that the virus can cause serious illness in people exposed to infected animals or contaminated environments.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
