Agriculture minister: Bird flu outbreak contained

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Carlos Fávaro, announced at a public hearing on Tuesday (May 27) in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Agrarian Reform that the bird flu outbreak detected in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul, has been contained.

“Although this is the fifth working day since the farm’s total disinfection and 15 days since the outbreak was detected, I can assure you with great peace of mind that the outbreak in Montenegro has been contained,” said Fávaro.

The minister stressed that the episode reflects the effectiveness of the country’s health system.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 540 rural properties were identified within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected farm, all of which have already been inspected. In addition to the outbreak site, two others operate commercial poultry farming.

“The key point to highlight is our ability to contain the outbreak. Seven sanitary barriers were set up immediately, along with measures to protect workers. On Monday (26), there were 21 cases under investigation; ten have already been ruled out today. We had two farms under investigation, and now only one remains,” he noted.

The minister said Brazil should declare itself free of the disease in just over 20 days, with the timeline driven by health protocols.

“After 28 days [from the identification of the most recent case]—the virus’s incubation period—we will once again declare Brazil free of bird flu. The strong expectation is that this will happen within the next 23 days,” he announced.

Following the outbreak, 24 countries suspended imports of meat and eggs from Brazil for health reasons. Of these, 13 limited the suspension to poultry and eggs produced only in Rio Grande do Sul.

Fávaro said that once the country is declared free of the disease, exports should resume as normal.

“We will resume negotiations with all the countries that restricted purchases,” he added.

The minister compared Brazil’s case—where 17,000 birds were culled after the outbreak was detected—with bird flu outbreaks in the United States. There, just two days before the disease was confirmed in Brazil, an outbreak led to the culling of 700,000 birds.

“If the outbreak in Montenegro had spread to other regions, we would have seen more cases of mortality. New lethal cases could have appeared within 4 or 5 days, but none were recorded. The fact that 15 days have ed without any new cases demonstrates the capacity of Brazil’s health control system and how effectively it has worked,” the minister explained.

“The bird flu virus has been circulating worldwide for at least 30 years. It has been detected on commercial farms for 19 years, and during that time, Brazil has become the only major meat and egg producer in the world without the virus on its commercial farms—and that’s no coincidence,” said Fávaro.

The disease

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, primarily affects birds but has also been detected in mammals, including cattle.

Transmission occurs through with infected birds, as well as contaminated water and materials.

The disease rarely affects humans, but people are advised to stay informed and follow preventive measures.

The Ministry of Agriculture states that meat and eggs are safe for consumption, provided they are properly cooked.