Genetic link to zoo emerges in Brazil’s first bird flu outbreak on poultry farm

BRAZIL – Brazil’s first confirmed outbreak of bird flu on a commercial poultry farm has been genetically linked to earlier cases found in zoo animals, raising concerns over cross-species transmission and biosecurity gaps in one of the world’s leading poultry exporters.

Genetic testing suggests that the H5N1 strain detected at a farm in Montenegro, a city in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, is similar to the virus previously identified in zoo animals in the same region, a government official said, according to Reuters. 

However, Rosane Collares, a senior official at the state’s agriculture department, cautioned that a direct link between the two outbreaks has yet to be definitively proven.

The outbreak, reported on April 16, marks Brazil’s first instance of avian influenza in a commercial poultry setting. The affected facility supplies poultry to Vibra Foods, a Brazilian processor partially owned by U.S.-based Tyson Foods. 

The discovery has triggered a wave of international trade restrictions, dealing a blow to Brazil’s poultry sector, which exports to more than 150 countries and generated around US$10 billion in 2024, roughly 35% of global poultry trade.

China, Brazil’s largest poultry buyer, responded with an immediate countrywide ban on Brazilian chicken imports. The European Union followed suit, halting all poultry and meat imports from Brazil. Argentina has also suspended poultry imports until the outbreak is fully contained.

Other nations, including Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, have opted for more localised bans focused on Rio Grande do Sul.

South Korea is also enforcing a state-wide suspension, while countries such as Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan initially imposed a nationwide ban before limiting it to the affected region.

Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry continues to update the list of countries enforcing restrictions.

As of Friday, over 30 markets had implemented some form of trade suspension, with several obligated to maintain a minimum 60-day ban under international trade agreements.

Industry stakeholders are closely monitoring the fallout. BRF and JBS, two of Brazil’s largest meatpackers with extensive operations in Rio Grande do Sul, could face significant disruptions. BRF operates five processing plants in the state, while JBS is present through its Seara brand.

According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), Rio Grande do Sul contributes around 15% of the country’s poultry production and exports.

To contain the outbreak, veterinary teams have culled approximately 17,000 birds at the affected site and are conducting surveillance within a 10-kilometre radius.

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