Brazil declares itself free of bird flu and imposes an end to the 'sanitary vacuum'

On Wednesday 18th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) formally announced to the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) the end of the sanitary gap, a term used for a period in which certain crops cannot be cultivated to avoid the proliferation of pests and diseases.

In practice, the country completed all required health actions, once again regaining its status as being free of avian influenza.

The sanitary vacuum period began on May 22, shortly after the disinfection of a farm located in Montenegro, in Rio Grande do Sul, the first and only outbreak of the disease on a commercial farm in the country, was completed.

Seeking to reestablish international trade, Brazil directly notified all countries that imposed temporary restrictions on Brazilian exports of poultry products.

“A crisis is not something to celebrate, but we must recognize the robustness of our health system, which responded with complete transparency and efficiency,” said the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro. “We followed all protocols, contained the outbreak and are now moving forward responsibly towards a gradual resumption of foreign trade, demonstrating the strength of the Brazilian health service.”