Brazil state says it rules out bird flu in commercial flock
A drone view shows the installations of Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods TSN.N, after Brazil's first outbreak of bird flu was identified at a poultry farm supplying Vibra Foods, in Montenegro, Brazil May 16, 2025. The writing on the sign reads \" Naturally healthy wonderfully.\" REUTERS/Diego Vara
A drone view shows the installations of Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods TSN.N, after Brazil's first outbreak of bird flu was identified at a poultry farm supplying Vibra Foods, in Montenegro, Brazil May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Diego Vara
A drone view shows the installations of Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods TSN.N, after Brazil's first outbreak of bird flu was identified at a poultry farm supplying Vibra Foods, in Montenegro, Brazil May 16, 2025. The writing on the sign reads \" Naturally healthy wonderfully.\" REUTERS/Diego Vara
Brazil state says it rules out bird flu in commercial flock
SAO PAULO - Brazil's Santa Catarina state said it has ruled out an outbreak of bird flu in a commercial chicken farm while the federal government was keeping it on a list of suspected cases pending further tests.
In a statement late on Thursday, the state cited laboratory test results for its conclusion but noted additional tests are required.
Tocantins state this week ruled out highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease, citing preliminary test results, at a commercial farm there.
Brazil is currently monitoring 12 potential outbreaks, most of them among wild birds and backyard flocks.
Santa Catarina said the farm "remains under investigation to obtain a final diagnosis regarding the cause of death" of an unspecified number birds.
The investigation will be completed in a week, Santa Catarina said.
Brazil's first bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm was confirmed one week ago and has triggered trade bans against the country, the world's top chicken exporter.
After completing disinfection of a farm in Rio Grande do Sul state, where that outbreak took place, the government said the country will be declared free of the disease in 28 days provided no more cases are confirmed.
Despite the release of test results by local authorities, the federal government has not removed the Santa Catarina or Tocantins chicken farms from a list of suspect bird flu cases under investigation, pending additional testing. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Norwegian gynaecologist jailed for dozens of rapes over 18 years
Norwegian gynaecologist jailed for dozens of rapes over 18 years OSLO – A Norwegian court on June 6 sentenced a doctor to 21 years in prison for committing dozens of rapes over a period of almost two decades. Arne Bye, 55, was found guilty of committing 70 counts of rape and sexual assault during gynecological examinations of his patients between 2004 and 2022. He was also condemned for 80 instances of abuse of his position. Bye committed the acts at his medical practice in the town of Frosta in central Norway. The court in the city of Trondelag barred the doctor from exercising his profession indefinitely and demanded he financially compensate his victims. Ninety-four women testified during the trial, describing how Bye committed multiple acts of non-consensual touching and digital penetration without medical justification. The acts all constitute rape under Norwegian law. Bye also filmed the assaults. 'The suspect's actions make this case an extremely serious one. The actions are unacceptable,' the Adresseavisen newspaper quoted judge Espen Haug as saying in court. The sentence matched the one requested by the prosecution. Bye's defence had argued for lesser sentence, recognising only 20 of the rapes. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
South Africa to ramp up vaccinations as foot-and-mouth disease spreads
South Africa is building up vaccine stocks and expanding inoculations to fight a worsening foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the agriculture ministry said, as the country faces threats to beef supplies. Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious, viral infection of cloven-hoofed animals that may also affect other species. Flare-ups have been reported over the past several months in five of South Africa's nine provinces, with KwaZulu- Natal being the worst affected. This week, Karan Beef, which operates the country's largest feedlot and one of the world's biggest, reported an outbreak at its facility in Heidelberg, about 50 kilometres southeast of Johannesburg. The quarantine imposed on the feedlot, which slaughters about 2,000 cattle daily, could impact beef supplies. The government has ordered over 900,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccines with the first batch expected to arrive next week, the agriculture ministry said in a statement late on Thursday. "These plans are not only about responding to outbreaks, but also about building permanent infrastructure to manage future risks," it said. There are growing calls by some cattle producers to declare a "state of disaster" and protect the industry from financial losses. Invoking disaster law gives the government additional powers to intervene in a crisis. The foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have resulted in South African beef and related products being banned in markets such as China, Namibia and Zimbabwe. South Africa's livestock sector is also recovering from its worst avian flu outbreak, which destroyed a third of the national chicken flock in 2023. On Thursday, the government announced the first ever mass vaccination of poultry to prevent a repeat outbreak of high-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a bird flu that spreads rapidly in an infected flock, causing a high death rate. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Forum: Don't let smaller clinics get priced out of high-traffic areas
Forum: Don't let smaller clinics get priced out of high-traffic areas The recent record-setting rental bid of $52,000 per month for a Tampines HDB clinic highlights an unsettling reality: Healthcare access in Singapore is being shaped by property market forces (Co-owner of firm behind record $52k bid to rent Tampines HDB clinic says location justifies cost, June 4). As a public health physician, I worry that a silent shift is under way. Neighbourhood clinics that serve vulnerable populations could become increasingly priced out of high-traffic areas. A two-tiered system is emerging, where only large, financially backed providers can maintain presence in strategic locations. But a small, independent practice that has served its community for decades may be more valuable in public health terms than a high-turnover, profit-focused chain. We must rethink how we support such clinics. Differentiated rental schemes, especially for clinics participating in national programmes like Healthier SG, are urgently needed. So too are payment models that reward continuity and long-term outcomes, not just volume. Healthcare infrastructure is more than hospitals and polyclinics. It includes community clinics that know their patients, offer early intervention, and prevent system overload. If we let these clinics disappear, the cost is not just economic. It is social, and it is systemic. Dr Ang Yee Gary More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
