Brazil confirms bird flu case at zoo
Brazil, the world's top exporter of chicken meat, has suspended its shipments to more than 20 countries due to an avian flu outbreak that began in mid-May.
Brasilia's zoo closed on May 28 after finding a dead pigeon and dead duck that it suspected were cases of the disease.
Samples from the birds revealed "the detection of a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza", the Federal District's Agriculture Secretariat said on social media Tuesday.
"With the confirmation of the outbreak ... the closure of the zoo will remain in effect until Jun 12, if no new cases are detected on-site."
This brings the total number of recently reported bird flu cases in Brazil to five, according to the ministry of agriculture.
The first case was recorded on May 16 at a farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Avian flu has spread globally in recent years, leading to mass culling of poultry, some human deaths, and a spike in egg prices.
Infections in humans can cause severe disease with a high mortality rate, according to the World Health Organization, but the virus does not appear to move easily from person to person.
Human cases detected so far were mostly in people who had close contact with infected birds and other animals, or contaminated environments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
08-07-2025
- CNA
Trump says BRICS nations to get 10% tariff 'pretty soon'
WASHINGTON/BRASILIA: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Jul 8) the US would "pretty soon" charge a 10 per cent tariff on imports from BRICS countries, drawing another complaint from Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who just hosted the bloc's annual summit. Trump, who raised the tariff threat on Sunday, said in a Tuesday cabinet meeting at the White House that the duty was on the way: "Anybody that's in BRICS is getting a 10 per cent charge pretty soon ... If they're a member of BRICS, they're going to have to pay a 10 per cent tariff ... and they won't be a member long." The BRICS group expanded last year beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to include members such as Iran and Indonesia. Leaders at the summit in Rio de Janeiro voiced indirect criticism of US military and trade policies. Asked about Trump's tariff threat, Lula told journalists at the BRICS summit on Monday that the world does not want an emperor. After a state visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lula on Tuesday expressed further disagreement. "We will not accept any complaints about the BRICS summit. We do not agree with the US president insinuating he's going to put tariffs on BRICS countries," he told journalists in Brasilia. Trump gave no specific date for the BRICS tariff to kick in. On Monday, a source familiar with the matter said the Trump administration would charge the tariff only if countries adopted anti-American policies, differentiating actions from statements like the one adopted by the BRICS leaders on Sunday. Trump claimed without evidence on Tuesday that the group was set up to hurt the United States and he US dollar's role as the world's reserve currency. He said he would not allow that to happen. "BRICS was set up to degenerate our dollar and take our dollar ... take it off as the standard," he said. "And that's okay if they want to play that game, but I can play that game too." Trump said losing the dollar's role as the world's reserve currency would be like "losing a war, a major world war. We would not be the same country any longer."
CNA
04-06-2025
- CNA
Brazil's Pix set for next leap with launch of recurring payments
Brazil's wildly popular instant payment system Pix is poised for another leap with the launch of a new recurring payments feature this month, central bank officials said on Wednesday. Since its launch in late 2020, Pix has rapidly become the leading payment method in Latin America's largest economy, surpassing cash as well as debit and credit cards. Last year it handled more than 26 trillion reais ($4.61 trillion) in transactions. Initially slated for launch last October, the new feature will go live on June 16, allowing users to authorize recurring charges with a single consent, according to the central bank, which developed and operates Pix. That will allow for automatic payments of utilities, phone bills, school tuition, gym memberships, and digital or streaming services via the new "Pix Automatico" tool. "'Boleto' will be overtaken by Pix Automatico when it comes to automatic payments," said Renato Gomes, the central bank's financial system organization director. Boleto is the traditional slip method, which moved 6.2 trillion reais last year, according to banking federation Febraban. Speaking at a central bank event in Sao Paulo to present the feature, Gomes added that existing automatic debit services via banks are also likely to be disrupted by the new tool. Companies must sign bank agreements to offer automatic debit, a process central bank regulation director Gilneu Vivan described as burdensome for small businesses. Pix Automatico will simplify the process, allowing small merchants to receive recurring payments with ease. Vivan also noted that nearly 60 million Brazilians do not own a credit card, a group that will now be able to access subscription-based services previously limited to cardholders. A study by payments platform EBANX estimates that Pix Automatico could handle at least $30 billion in e-commerce transactions within its first two years of operation.
CNA
04-06-2025
- CNA
Brazil confirms bird flu case at zoo
BRASILIA: The Brazilian government confirmed a case of bird flu at a zoo in its capital after two birds were found dead there last week. Brazil, the world's top exporter of chicken meat, has suspended its shipments to more than 20 countries due to an avian flu outbreak that began in mid-May. Brasilia's zoo closed on May 28 after finding a dead pigeon and dead duck that it suspected were cases of the disease. Samples from the birds revealed "the detection of a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza", the Federal District's Agriculture Secretariat said on social media Tuesday. "With the confirmation of the outbreak ... the closure of the zoo will remain in effect until Jun 12, if no new cases are detected on-site." This brings the total number of recently reported bird flu cases in Brazil to five, according to the ministry of agriculture. The first case was recorded on May 16 at a farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Avian flu has spread globally in recent years, leading to mass culling of poultry, some human deaths, and a spike in egg prices. Infections in humans can cause severe disease with a high mortality rate, according to the World Health Organization, but the virus does not appear to move easily from person to person. Human cases detected so far were mostly in people who had close contact with infected birds and other animals, or contaminated environments.
