Brazil declares itself bird flu ‘free’, aims to resume exports

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By Ana Mano, Roberto Samora and Debora Ely

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -The world’s largest poultry exporter has declared itself free of the bird flu virus on commercial flocks after observing a 28-day period without any new commercial farm outbreaks, the Brazilian ministry of agriculture said on Wednesday.

The countdown for reclaiming the country’s disease-free status began on May 22 following the complete disinfection of the farm where Brazil’s only commercial outbreak was detected last month, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Under existing trade protocols, China and other importers banned chicken imports from Brazil, which accounts for 39% of global chicken trade, pending measures to control the disease and prevent entrance on other commercial chicken facilities.

Now, Brazil aims at resuming chicken exports with its trade partners, but that will require talks with each one of them, Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said in a statement.

Earlier, a Rio Grande do Sul state official had said Brazil had taken all the steps under health protocols to once again declare itself a free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

Reclaiming Brazil’s status as free HPAI is not automatic and must be confirmed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), according to guidelines from the body.

Brazil’s first outbreak hit a chicken breeder farm in the town of Montenegro, where 17,000 birds were culled.

(Reporting by Ana Mano, Roberto Samora and Debora ElyEditing by Marguerita Choy and Nick Zieminski)