Brazil has declared a six-month precautionary health emergency after the identification of several cases of avian flu in the country’s wild birds: at least eight have been found in recent days. The emergency declaration is needed to allow the government to take immediate measures to limit the spread of the highly infectious H5N1 virus.
One of the priorities is to keep the virus away from poultry farms, which are mainly located in the south of the country: Brazil is the largest global exporter of chicken meat, with an annual turnover of over 9 billion dollars. Identifying a case of avian flu on a farm often involves culling large numbers of birds and can sometimes lead to import restrictions by other states.
The current outbreak of avian flu, which mainly affects wild birds, is proving to be particularly deadly and worrying. In recent months, in Europe and other parts of the world, the H5N1/HPAI virus has also been found among some species of mammals, including mink: for now, it is not believed that there is an immediate danger to humans, but the risk that the virus develops new capabilities over time to transmit itself more easily remains.
