Brazil investigates four more suspect cases of avian flu in wild birds

FILE PHOTO: A person touches a test tube labelled "Bird Flu", in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil is investigating another four new potential cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in wild birds, according to authorities from the state of Espirito Santo, where Brazil's first ever cases were confirmed this week.

After the birds showed symptoms consistent with H5N1, samples were taken from the four, all of them from the Thalasseus acuflavidus species (Cabot's terns), according to a statement from Espirito Santo's Agriculture, Supply, Aquaculture and Fisheries agency on Friday.