Brazil to declare end of Newcastle disease outbreak, newspaper reports

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil will declare the end of a Newcastle disease outbreak in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, a local news outlet reported on Thursday, citing an agriculture ministry official.

"All technical information indicates the outbreak is over," secretary of agricultural defense Carlos Goulart told newspaper Estadao.

According to the report, Goulart said that the Brazilian government will formalize the end of the outbreak in a statement to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). He added that all relevant information on the outbreak will be provided to the international community.

Newcastle is a viral disease that affects domestic and wild birds, causing respiratory problems, among other symptoms, and can lead to death.

Brazil last week detected its first case of the disease in poultry since 2006, leading the government to enforce a voluntary ban on poultry exports to certain countries.

The Agriculture Ministry now expects to resume normal poultry export activity, Estadao reported, although the government would still need a green light from sanitary authorities in the countries affected by the ban.

The agriculture ministry did not have an immediate comment.

(Reporting by Luana Maria Benedito and Ana Mano; Editing by Leslie Adler and Aurora Ellis)