Brazilians advised by EU on live export deficiencies

RECOMMENDATIONS have been made by the EU’s Food and Veterinary Office to authorities in Brazil to address shortcomings identified last October during assessment of the possibility of live cattle exports to the EU from the country’s southern state of Santa Catarina.

Assessors found that calves were traceable, with the exception of re-tagged animals, for which written records were used. Procedures regarding transit of cattle through the state, to ensure that they did not become resident, were sufficient, but with certain weaknesses.

Surveillance for foot-and-mouth disease was sufficient, but follow-up to positive results was slow, and insufficient disinfection of livestock vehicles also undermined controls. Assessors said there was a risk of under-sampling for vesicular stomatitis, and officials were unable to demonstrate freedom from bluetongue, which is not a notifiable disease in Brazil. There was no official system for control of enzootic bovine leukosis.