2 days ago
Brazil agriculture minister calls for bird flu vaccination debate
SAO PAULO, June 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro on Friday welcomed the opportunity to debate vaccination of poultry against bird flu following the country's first confirmed outbreak on a commercial chicken breeding farm last month.
Speaking in Paris at the World Organization for Animal Health, Favaro said Brazil would be prepared to host a global conference on animal health in 2026, saying it would be the ideal venue for such a discussion to take place.
The potential use of vaccines against highly pathogenic avian influenza could restrict access to markets for Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter.
But Favaro called for a discussion involving sellers and buyers to waive any restrictions in case vaccination is adopted, as Brazil is already facing bird flu-related trade bans.
Favaro also defended a regionalization model under which trade bans would only apply to specific locations affected by outbreaks of highly contagious diseases such as bird flu or Newcastle disease.
Brazil received on Friday a formal certification as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, which in theory could give Brazilian beef access to stricter markets, like Japan.
The industry and minister called this certification "historic."
