Brazil links current farm bird flu strain to earlier zoo cases

BRAZIL – Genetic testing has suggested that the strain of bird flu detected at a poultry farm in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state may be the same as the one previously found in zoo animals within the same region.

However, Rosane Collares, a senior official at the state’s agriculture department, said there is not yet conclusive evidence that the two outbreaks are directly related.

The potential link comes days after the European Union temporarily blocked poultry and meat imports from Brazil following the confirmed avian flu case on a commercial farm.

The restriction was confirmed in a European Commission statement issued Monday, just days after Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture reported its first case of H5N1 in a commercial poultry setting on April 16.

The outbreak occurred in the city of Montenegro, located in the southern poultry-producing state of Rio Grande do Sul.

This development triggered immediate export suspensions from several key trading partners, including China, which has imposed a countrywide ban on Brazilian chicken.

Other countries such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have taken a more targeted approach, limiting restrictions to the affected state.

Argentina has also announced a complete halt on poultry imports from Brazil, pending official confirmation that the virus has been eradicated.

The infected facility supplies poultry to Vibra Foods, a Brazilian processor that is partially owned by Tyson Foods, a U.S.-based company.

Neither Vibra nor Tyson has stated the outbreak or its possible impact on operations.

According to Vibra’s corporate website, the company runs 15 processing plants and exports poultry to over 60 international markets.

Brazil’s poultry exports in 2024 reached a value of around US$10 billion, accounting for about 35% of the global chicken trade.

Much of that volume is handled by major meatpackers BRF and JBS, which distribute poultry products to approximately 150 countries.

Both companies have a strong presence in Rio Grande do Sul, with BRF operating five plants and JBS investing heavily through its Seara division.

The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) estimates that the state contributes roughly 15% of national poultry production and exports.

As part of Brazil’s trade agreements, countries such as China, the EU, and South Korea are required to enforce a minimum 60-day import suspension following a confirmed case.

Meanwhile, updated deals with Japan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia allow for more localized bans that initially focus on the affected state and may later narrow to the specific municipality.

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