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Brazil’s First Bird Flu Outbreak on Poultry Farm Sparks Trade Bans

China halts Brazilian poultry imports for 60 days as authorities cull 17,000 birds and enforce containment measures in Rio Grande do Sul.

A drone view shows the installations of Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods TSN.N, after Brazil's first outbreak of bird flu was identified at a poultry farm supplying Vibra Foods, in Montenegro, Brazil May 16, 2025. The writing on the sign reads " Naturally healthy wonderfully." REUTERS/Diego Vara
An employee points to a screen showing RT-qPCR results for detection of RNA from influenza virus at the Reference Laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health in Campinas, Brazil April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo
Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro reacts during a news conference in Brasilia, Brazil, April 4, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
Talita de Lima Freitas, federal agricultural inspector, works on a sample to test for avian influenza virus at the Reference Laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health in Campinas, Brazil April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo

Overview

  • Brazil confirmed its first highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu outbreak on a commercial poultry farm in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul, on May 16, 2025.
  • Veterinary teams have culled 17,000 birds and established a 10-kilometer isolation zone around the affected farm to prevent further spread.
  • China, Brazil's largest poultry importer, imposed a 60-day nationwide ban on Brazilian poultry, while other key buyers enacted state-level restrictions.
  • Brazil, accounting for 35% of global chicken exports, risks significant economic losses as major processors like BRF and JBS face disrupted production and trade flows.
  • Officials are working to contain the outbreak and negotiate expedited lifting of trade restrictions, emphasizing the safety of inspected poultry products.