Brazil is grappling with a significant outbreak of bird flu, following in the footsteps of France. Reports indicate that almost 1,000 sea lions and seals have succumbed to the rapidly spreading pathogenic avian influenza. The country’s top officials are urgently devising strategies to contain the lethal virus and are particularly focused on isolating commercial poultry from the outbreak. This marks the first confirmation of cases of ‘highly pathogenic avian influenza’ in Brazil this year.
According to a Reuters report citing Rio Grande Federal University’s Oceanographer Silvina Botta, local authorities are under instruction to swiftly bury carcasses to mitigate the risk of transmitting the virus to the human population. Scientists have observed sea mammals convulsing along beaches, indicating that the bird flu virus is affecting the nervous systems of these animals.
Authorities assert that the preventive measures implemented since the initial detection of bird flu in May have so far safeguarded poultry farms. Any reported infection in commercial poultry would pose a significant challenge for Brazil, the world’s leading chicken exporter.
In addition to confirmed infections among seabirds, seals, and sea lions, samples have been collected from deceased porpoises and penguins found on beaches. However, results are pending. Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry has reported 148 cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), primarily along the coastline, leading to the declaration of a health emergency to contain the disease’s spread. Officials stress that bird flu is not yet considered endemic in Brazil. The impact of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has already prompted the culling of hundreds of millions of farm animals in Europe and the United States.
