Agriculture will declare emergency due to avian flu – 05/22/2023 – Market

MAPA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock) must publish, by Tuesday (23), in the Federal Official Gazette an ordinance declaring a state of zoosanitary emergency throughout the country, after cases of infection by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) .

According to the text of the ordinance obtained by the Sheetthe state of emergency must remain in force for a period of 180 days, which may be extended for an indefinite period, as of the publication of the text.

At the end of this Monday afternoon, the Ministry confirmed the publication of the ordinance.

In a note, the ABPA (Brazilian Association of Animal Protein) states that this is a measure already foreseen and discussed by the portfolio with the productive sector, whose sole purpose is to reduce bureaucracy in processes to gain greater agility in monitoring actions and possible measures for mitigation.

“It is an anticipatory measure, which seeks to speed up action responses through the integration of the Ministry with state bodies, release of resources, among others.”

The ordinance, for example, has the effect of suspending poultry exhibition fairs. For the consumer, there is no change for now.

The entity reinforces that there are no changes in the Brazilian status of “free of the disease” before the WHOA (World Organization for Animal Health), as there are no records of commercial production.

On Saturday (20), two more cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (IAAP) of the H5N1 subtype were confirmed. With that, the number of confirmations in wild birds rose to five. There are no cases in humans.

Since last week, Mapa informs that it has increased surveillance actions in populations of domestic and wild birds throughout the national territory.

The State Departments of Health and Agriculture of Rio de Janeiro confirmed this week a case of a bird of the species Thalasseus acuflavidus (thirty-réis-de-bando), which had been monitored since last Friday, when it was found in São João da Barra (north coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro).

Espírito Santo had yet another confirmed case in a bird of the Thalasseus Maximus species. The animal was found in the rural area of ​​the municipality of Nova Venécia (179 km from Vitória).

As the occurrence was in a non-coastal area, the surveillance action was also extended to neighboring municipalities — São Gabriel da Palha and Águia Branca.

The agriculture portfolio emphasizes that the disease is not transmitted by the consumption of poultry meat or eggs. Human infections with the avian influenza virus can be acquired mainly through direct contact with infected birds (dead or alive).

Also because it happens through water contaminated with remains or animal waste.

“In this way, we ask the population to avoid contact with sick or dead birds and activate the local veterinary service or make the notification through e-Sisbravet [sistema de vigilância de emergências veterinárias]”, says the Map.

Also on Saturday, the Ministry of Health reported that samples from the 33 suspected cases of avian influenza in humans in Espírito Santo were negative for the H5N1 virus.

The Health Ministry also ruled out a suspected case of avian flu in an employee at Parque Fazendinha, in Vitória, where a sick bird was found.

With Reuters