Avian flu arrives in Uruguay and is close to the largest Brazilian production center – 02/15/2023 – Vaivém

Avian flu, one of the main diseases in the poultry sector, has come closer in Brazil. Uruguay reported, this Wednesday (15), that it detected a case in a wild animal. Of the five largest chicken meat producers in the world, only Brazil has yet to register avian flu.

The disease had a strong presence in China, where it persists, is in Europe and, last year, returned to the United States. It advanced even further and has already passed through Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile and Bolivia and, now, Uruguay. There is a suspicion in Argentina.

Until then, the danger of an entry into Brazil was limited to regions with lesser importance in the national poultry production. The country was protected by the Andes mountain range and the Amazon rainforest, which made it difficult for wild birds to arrive.

Now the disease has just arrived in Uruguay, a very close neighbor of the highest concentration of national poultry production. 65% of Brazilian chicken production and 80% of exports come from the South.

Brazil has been mounting a war operation to combat the disease since last year, when the threats became more concrete. The problem is that the disease, as it did in Uruguay, arrives mainly through wild birds, which makes control more difficult.

For the time being only in wild birds, an eventual arrival of the disease to commercial farms in South America would bring serious consequences for the sector, mainly for Brazil, the world’s second largest producer and main exporter.

Last year, 4.8 million tons were exported, with revenues of US$ 9.7 billion. In 2023, the volume should exceed 5 million, according to ABPA (Brazilian Association of Animal Protein). Numbers from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) indicate a production of 21.3 million tons of chicken meat in the United States this year and 14.8 million in Brazil.

Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA, says that the presence of the disease in Uruguay raises the level of alert even more, but, according to him, Brazil is prepared to face an eventual arrival of the disease.

It has become endemic in several countries, such as the United States and Mexico, and in regions of Europe and Asia, but the world is starting to learn to live with the virus. It’s a bird disease, he says.

Avian flu is caused by the type A influenza virus. It has evolved and is highly pathogenic, that is, with a high rate of contagion. Cases affecting humans are rare.

The effect of avian influenza is great on poultry. In addition to the need to slaughter the birds, there is a delay in the production cycle, which may affect prices and exports.

This is what happens in the United States, even with the billionaire resources made available by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), the country registers a record of 58.4 million birds that had to undergo a sanitary slaughter in this return of the disease.

The disease spreads and there are already 760 outbreaks in that country, spreading across 47 states. In the last 30 days alone, 30 new outbreaks were registered in 18 states.

Disease control in the northern hemisphere is more difficult in winter. In December, 5 million birds were slaughtered in the US.

A possible arrival of the virus in Brazil would put the Brazilian product under suspicion in several countries, although the OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) determines that barriers to exports should be limited to a radius of 10 km from the affected areas. But while some cancel imports for health reasons, others do so because of trade barriers.

Brazil holds 35% of world exports. The country is so important in the world market that domestic foreign sales exceed the entire production of the fifth largest producer in the world.

China lost the position of second largest producer to Brazil and now occupies the third position, with 14.3 million tons. World trade in chicken meat is 14 million tons per year.

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