The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday it has ended its emergency response for H5N1 bird flu, owing to a decline in animal infections and no reports of human cases since February.

US CDC ends emergency bird flu response as infections decline

Brazil poised to declare itself bird flu ‘free,’ state official says
Brazil is ready to declare the country free of the bird flu virus on commercial flocks, Edivilson Brum, the head of Rio Grande do Sul state’s agriculture department, said on Wednesday in a statement.

Embattled B.C. ostriches a human health risk says epidemiologist
Universal Ostrich Farm’s bid to save flock from CFIA cull has drawn international attention
An embattled British Columbia ostrich flock remains a significant risk to human health, an epidemiologist says.

Is it time to vaccinate Canadian poultry against bird flu?
Canada doesn’t vaccinate poultry against highly pathogenic avian influenza; the head of the World Organization for Animal Health thinks it may be time to add vaccination to the tool kit
Reading Time: 5 minutes Canada doesn’t vaccinate poultry against highly pathogenic avian influenza. The head of the World Organization for Animal Health thinks it may be time to add vaccination to the tool kit.

Brazil chicken exports tick down in May after bird flu outbreak
Chicken meat exports from Brazil have fallen slightly year-on-year in May, trade data from the government showed on Monday, after the country logged a case of bird flu on a commercial farm.

Global animal health body says vaccines needed to protect humans, trade from bird flu
Vaccinating more animals against bird flu could help protect public health and keep global trade flowing said the head of the World Organization for Animal Health.

Brazil hopes to be officially free of bird flu in 28 days
Brazil began a 28-day bird flu observation period on Thursday which it hopes will show the country's chicken farms are free of the disease after local authorities said a farm where its first outbreak was detected had been fully disinfected.

Brazil chicken exporters brace for cargo rejections amid bird flu outbreak
Countries, including China, will not accept chicken consignments in transit from Brazil following confirmation of the country's first bird flu outbreak, Brazilian meat lobby ABPA, which represents large food processors, said on Tuesday.

Bird flu update: Study warns H5N1 could spark pandemic, urges preparation
The threat of H5N1 bird flu spreading to humans could spark another global pandemic, warned the Global Virus Network in a recent study calling for proactive measures to prevent widespread outbreaks.

US CDC cancels science group workshop on preventing human bird flu infections
Farmers requested the workshop after a March bird flu response forum
The National Academy of Sciences has canceled a workshop on preventing human bird flu infections after being told to stop work on the event by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an email sent to one of the workshop presenters and seen by Reuters.