Brazil confirms its first bird flu outbreak in a commercial poultry farm
[May 17, 2025]
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil, one of the world’s largest producers and
exporters of poultry, confirmed Friday the country's first bird flu
outbreak on a commercial farm.
The virus was found at a facility in the southern state of Rio Grande do
Sul, the country’s agriculture ministry said in a statement. It said a
contingency plan has been implemented “not only to eliminate the disease
but also to maintain the sector’s productive capacity, ensuring supply
and, consequently, food security for the population."
The ministry said it has notified the World Organization for Animal
Health, the Ministries of Health and the Environment and Brazil’s trade
partners.
The agency said in a statement later Friday that China and the European
Union have halted poultry imports from Brazil, following trade
agreements.
Restriction on poultry exports follows rules agreed on with each
importing country, based on international health certificate
requirements, the Agriculture and Livestock ministry added. Depending on
the type of the disease, some deals apply to the whole country while
others involve limits on where products can come from — for example, a
specific state, city or just the area of the outbreak.
“Countries like Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Philippines have
already accepted this regional approach,” the ministry said.
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 Brazil is one of the world's leading
producers and exporters of poultry, accounting for 14% of global
chicken meat production, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
An egg shortage in the United States following the bird flu outbreak
boosted Brazilian egg exports to the U.S., rising by more than
1,000% between January and April 2025 compared to the same period
the previous year, according to trade data from the Brazilian
government.
Brazil's agriculture ministry also said Friday the disease is not
transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs.
“The risk of human infection by the avian flu virus is low and
occurs mostly among handlers or professionals who have close contact
with infected birds (alive or dead),” the ministry said.
Brazilian chicken exports have previously faced resistance over
sanitary concerns. In 2018, the European Union temporarily banned
imports of chicken from 20 Brazilian plants due to concerns about
salmonella. Brazil brought the case to the World Trade Organization.
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