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The 180-day state of emergency comes after the South American country confirmed eight cases of H5N1 in wild birds in two states.
Brazil has declared a six-month animal health emergency after authorities confirmed the first case of avian influenza in wild birds, according to a document signed by the government’s agriculture minister.
The South American country, the world’s biggest poultry exporter with $9.7 billion in sales last year, has confirmed at least eight cases of H5N1 in wild birds, including one in Rio de Janeiro state and seven in neighboring Espirito Santo state.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health guidelines, the H5N1 subtype of avian influenza in wild birds does not trigger a trade ban.
But bird flu on farms usually kills the entire flock and can lead to trade restrictions from importing countries.
The country’s Ministry of Agriculture announced later on Monday that it has created an emergency operation center to coordinate, plan and evaluate “national measures related to avian influenza”.
Brazil’s main meat-producing states are in the south, and the government is on alert after the confirmed cases, as bird flu in wild birds has spread to commercial flocks in some countries.
Shares in Brazil-based BRF SA, the world’s biggest chicken exporter, rose 3.6 percent ahead of the government announcement and ended the day down 0.5 percent.
Over the weekend, the health ministry said samples from 33 suspected human cases of avian influenza in Espirito Santo, where Brazil confirmed its first cases in wild birds last week, had returned negative for the H5N1 subtype.
Last year, five human bird flu issues Reported. However, past human infections with avian influenza had a 53 percent mortality rate, according to the World Health Organization.
In April, the World Health Organization said a 56-year-old woman was admitted. South China He died after being diagnosed with avian influenza subtype H3N8, marking the first human death from bird flu.
The H3N8 virus has been circulating since 2002 and is thought to be more dangerous to domestic poultry and wild birds than H5N1.
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