Brazil declared itself free of foot and mouth disease without vaccination and will now seek international recognition of its status. On Thursday, the Brazilian government officially announced the end of the vaccination cycle against the disease nationwide, following the completion of the last vaccination phase in five Northeastern states.
The country’s authorities plan to submit a request for international recognition of the status to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in August. The result should be announced next year.
If positive, it could take Brazilian livestock to a different sanitary level and open the doors to more demanding markets around the globe, such as Japan and South Korea, says the government.
To achieve international recognition, the WOAH requires the suspension of vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease and a ban on the entry of vaccinated animals into the proposed states and regions for at least 12 months.
The entity is expected to conduct an audit in Brazil and announce the results in May 2025. With this, the goal of achieving the status of a disease-free country without vaccination, originally estimated for 2026, could be moved up by a year.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, the recognition process will be a “mere formality.” Before the audit, the federal government and the state agricultural defense agencies will step up efforts to complete the other stages outlined in the WOAH’s terrestrial animal code to replace vaccination.
“This is the beginning of a process in which Brazil becomes part of the global elite sanitary group, which is much harder to maintain. With all the dedication and the entire system involved, we will reach very demanding, but very rewarding markets,” he stated.
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