Brazil confirms first ever avian flu cases in wild birds

The world’s top chicken exporter, Brazil has reported for the first time Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases but only in wild birds, state’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday.

The ministry added that the virus was detected in two wild seabirds on the coast of Espírito Santo in the southeast of the country. The avian influenza virus can kill entire flocks of birds and cause losses for the farming sector.

Brazil’s poultry exports rose 27 percent last year to $9.76 billion, as other countries suffer from a global outbreak of the virus, yet the South American country has not recorded cases yet.