WattAgNet: São Paulo, Brazil, strengthens avian flu protection

Prevention, eradication committee established; no bird movements without permit

Release Date: 2015-05-29
The Brazilian state of São Paulo has established an avian influenza prevention committee and an electronic permit scheme for the movement of birds and fertile eggs, as part of efforts to prevent the virus from entering the country.

Disease prevention and control
The state government says that the committee has been set up in response to the continuing outbreaks of avian influenza in the U.S. and will help to prevent the virus entering not only the São Paulo poultry flock but the national flock as a whole.

São Paulo is one of Brazil’s major egg producing areas and also an important producer of broiler meat. The local authorities note that there is the risk of the virus entering the territory not only via migratory birds, but also through passengers arriving at the country’s ports and airports.

The committee has been given responsibility to establish and integrate preventive, control and eradication measures, applicable to industrial- and small-scale chicken meat and egg production, wild birds kept in captivity, migratory and non-migratory birds.

Movement controls
An electronic movement permit system for poultry and fertile birds has also been set up and, from this week, no movements will be allowed without an accompanying movement permit, called an e-GTA. Permits can be applied for on-line which, the local government believes, will make the lives of poultry producers simpler and encourage them to apply, so helping to protect the health of the state’s broiler meat and egg flocks.