Brazil confirms first avian flu case on poultry farm

This marks the first instance of HPAI detected within Brazil’s commercial poultry sector. Since 2006, the virus has primarily circulated in regions such as Asia, Africa, and Northern Europe.

A 60-day animal health emergency has been declared in Montenegro, encompassing a 10-kilometer radius around the affected commercial poultry facility. According to the ministry, the scope of the emergency zone may be adjusted based on ongoing epidemiological investigations and animal health surveillance efforts.

The Rio Grande do Sul State Department of Agriculture reported that on May 12, signs of respiratory and neurological symptoms were observed in birds at a breeding facility in Montenegro. Samples were collected and sent to the Federal Agricultural Diagnostic Laboratory in Campinas, São Paulo, which confirmed the H5N1 HPAI diagnosis on Friday (16).

Following confirmation, the state’s Official Veterinary Service (SVO-RS) isolated the area and culled the remaining birds, initiating the farm’s sanitation protocol. A supplementary investigation will be conducted within an initial 10-kilometer radius of the outbreak site and will assess potential links to other properties.

Earlier this week, the Sapucaia do Sul Zoo, located in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, reported the deaths of 38 swans and ducks of various species, which exhibited no specific symptoms. This incident is also under investigation, and the zoo has been closed to visitors.

The ministry is communicating with stakeholders in the poultry production chain, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Ministries of Health and Environment, as well as Brazil’s trade partners.

MAPA emphasized that Brazil’s veterinary services have been trained and equipped to address such diseases since the early 2000s. Preventive measures have included monitoring wild birds, epidemiological surveillance in both commercial and subsistence poultry farming, continuous training of official and private veterinary technicians, public health education initiatives, and the implementation of surveillance activities at points of entry for animals and animal products into Brazil.

According to the ministry, these measures have proven effective in delaying the introduction of the disease into Brazil’s commercial poultry sector for nearly two decades.

The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) and the Rio Grande do Sul Poultry Association (Asgav) issued a joint statement asserting that the situation is isolated and, like any occurrence of the disease in birds, poses no risk to consumers. The organizations stated they are supporting federal and state governments in managing the situation.

MAPA officials reiterated that the disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs. “The Brazilian and global populations can remain confident in the safety of inspected products, with no restrictions on their consumption. The risk of human infection with the avian flu virus is low and primarily occurs among individuals who have close contact with infected birds, whether alive or dead,” the ministry stated.

“All necessary measures to contain the situation were promptly adopted, and the situation is under control and being monitored by government agencies. At the same time, the organizations trust in the swift actions to be taken by the Ministry and the State Department at all levels, ensuring that any consequences arising from the situation are resolved as quickly as possible,” the ABPA and Asgav statement concluded.

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects wild and domestic birds but can also infect humans.

Common symptoms in birds include respiratory distress, nasal or ocular discharge, sneezing, lack of coordination, neck twisting, diarrhea, and high mortality rates.