Avian flu: Government releases more R$ 200 million to combat – 06/06/2023 – Market

The federal government announced an extraordinary credit of R$ 200 million to Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock) to fight avian flu in the country.

The credit will be made through Provisional Measure No. 1,177, published in the Official Gazette this Tuesday (6) and signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and by the Minister of Planning and Budget, Simone Tebet.

According to the ministry, disease control and containment actions will be intensified after the confirmation of cases of avian influenza in wild birds in four states. This Monday (5), a case was confirmed in Ubatuba, on the north coast of São Paulo. In total, there are 24 cases registered in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, says that the fight against avian flu “is an issue that deserves everyone’s attention, as the spread of the disease could impact various sectors of the country”.

President Lula’s measure, says the minister, complements the work of the Ministries of Health and Environment and Climate Change, Ibama, Civil Defense and state bodies.

Among the actions to control and combat Avian Influenza, the ministry highlights the need for rapid identification, testing and health care of suspected cases. “For this, the technical teams will be able to count on reinforcement for specific actions in loco”, he says, in a note.

The federal government claims that Brazil remains free of avian influenza in commercial breeding and maintains its status as free of avian influenza before the World Organization for Animal Health, exporting its products for safe consumption.

On May 22, the government declared a state of zoosanitary emergency across the country, following cases of infection with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1).

The state of emergency must be in force for a period of 180 days, which may be extended for an indefinite period.