Brazil Gets Ready for Bird Flu: 9 Million Kits of Tamiflu

Bird flu has put the world on alert and things are not different in Brazil. Although there have been no cases of the disease in Brazil, action plans are in place and the country is preparing for the possibility of it arriving.

The Ministry of Health reports that it now has 66 "health units" in 20 states and the Federal District (Brasilia) ready to handle anyone with the H5N1 virus.

In cases where it is suspected that a person may have the virus, it will be possible to isolate them. An additional nine units are in the pipeline and will be operational before the middle of the year.

Brazil also has a stockpile of nine million kits of Tamiflu, an antiviral drug also known by its generic name of Oseltamivir, which is used in the treatment of strains of influenza types A and B.

Meanwhile an educational campaign continues in the country’s main airports. And the government has announced it will prohibit the importation of poultry from areas where bird flu has been confirmed.

ABr

Tags:

You May Also Like

Cover Story Brazilians on the move

Brazil used to be a country that received immigrants from around the world. Now, ...

Kirchner: Brazil and Argentina Must Care More for Uruguay and Paraguay

In the opinion of Argentinean President, Nestor Kirchner, the Mercosur has to consider the ...

Brazil’s Embraer Takes Its Wings to Aero India

Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, will participate for the third time at the Aero ...

Brazil Technology to Monitor Venezuela’s Environment

Atech Tecnologias CrÀ­ticas, a Brazilian company that develops systems and software especially for the ...

Instead of Hoping for Marina’s Nod Brazil Candidates Should Fulfill Marina’s Hopes

Months ago, before Marina Silva decided to leave the Workers Party (PT) and become ...

Led by Industry Brazil’s GDP Grows 5.3% This Year

Brazil's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), i.e. the sum of all goods and services produced ...

Brazil, a World Leader in Transplant

Brazil has the world’s largest public system of organ transplants. By the end of ...

Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa

Brazil Uses Agriculture to Fight Poverty in Africa

Representatives of Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa AgrÀ­cola – Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) met ...

Brazil’s State Machine Shrinks

The 1990s in Brazil was a decade characterized by privatizations and a shrinking of ...

Brazil’s Lula to Sign Accord on Biofuel During Finland Trip

Next week, Brazil and Finland should sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the ...