Brazil has announced that it is now free of bird flu, a step that allows it to resume chicken exports to China and more than 20 other countries after a one-month hiatus.

The country was forced to halt shipments to its main customer China, the European Union and several Latin American countries after a case of “highly pathogenic avian influenza” (HPAI) was recorded at a farm in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Later, a case was also confirmed in a zoo in Brazil, where a pigeon and a duck were found dead. As these were wild birds, this did not lead to new restrictions in the sector.

The Brazilian Government has informed the World Organisation for Animal Health that the 28-day quarantine period without new cases has expired.

“The country is declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said an official announcement from the agriculture ministry.

Minister Carlos Favaro said a “gradual resumption” of poultry exports would begin. 

Bird flu has spread globally in recent years, causing mass culls of birds, human deaths and egg price increases.

According to the World Health Organization, infection in humans can be severe with high mortality, but the virus is rarely transmitted from person to person. Most cases are among people who have had direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. | BGNES, AFP