Brazil suspends poultry exports due to health concerns

“In accordance with international standards for trade in poultry and poultry products, the suspension of temporary certification is carried out by Brazil in order to ensure transparency of the Brazilian official service for countries importing the products,” the ministry said in a statement. 

In the case of China , Argentina and the European Union, the suspension applies to the entire territory of the country. This includes poultry meat , fresh poultry meat and its derivatives, eggs , meat for animal feed, poultry raw materials for therapeutic purposes, processed meats and unprocessed blood products. New restrictions also affected India, South Africa and Mexico.

In addition, all products within a 50-kilometer radius of the outbreak cannot be exported to Canada, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and East Timor. Meanwhile, the authorities also noted that heat-treated products such as cooked, cooked and processed foods destined for Argentina, South Africa, Chile, the European Union and Uruguay are not subject to any restrictions.

Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said the chicken tested positive for Newcastle disease , which affects the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems. He also noted that a house roof collapse after a hurricane could have exposed birds to a virus that can be found in the feces of infected wild birds. “This appears to be an isolated incident,” Favaro said. “There is no sign of sick animals in this area, let alone the region.”

Newcastle disease is easily transmitted among birds but does not affect humans. It was last discovered in poultry in Brazil in 2006.

The suspension rules are reviewed daily based on ongoing negotiations with partner countries. It was also announced that birds would be killed in Rio Grande do Sul as a precaution. Rio Grande do Sul is the third largest exporter of chicken meat in Brazil. In the first six months of the year, 354 thousand tons were exported .