The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture confirmed on Thursday (2) that the case of mad cow disease in the State of Pará is, indeed, atypical. In a statement, it pointed to the conclusion of an analysis conducted by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
The case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), detected in the municipality of Marabá (PA), is atypical type H, more common in older cattle. It does not pose risks for the supply chain and consumers.
The discovery was announced on February 20 and led to an automatic suspension of Brazilian beef exports to China.
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, began inserting the information into the system for official communication to the WOAH and the Chinese authorities, according to the statement.
As soon as the process is concluded, a virtual meeting will be scheduled with the Chinese government to deal with the release of exports, informed the ministry.
Also on Thursday, the governments of Thailand, Iran and Jordan temporarily suspended imports of Brazilian beef due to the case. Russia has imposed restrictions on the purchase of beef products from Pará, specifically.
The ministry said it is adopting all measures, in accordance with health protocols, to have Brazilian beef exports reestablished as soon as possible.
In recent days, the minister had stated that his expectation is that sales of the product to China would resume by the end of March.