Brazil has halted its chicken exports to the European Union and Argentina following the detection of a virulent poultry disease on a commercial farm. The outbreak of Newcastle disease was confirmed on Wednesday at a farm in Rio Grande do Sul, leading to an immediate shutdown of the facility and the destruction of infected birds to prevent further spread, according to the country’s agriculture ministry.
In addition to the suspension of exports to the EU and Argentina, Brazil has also halted shipments of chicken, eggs, and other poultry products from the affected southern state to other major markets including China, India, South Africa, and Mexico. The ministry’s notice highlights the extensive impact of this measure on international trade.
Newcastle disease, which poses no threat to humans but is highly contagious among birds, often leads to significant import bans from affected regions by major importing countries. This outbreak threatens to further impact Brazil’s poultry industry, already struggling with a downturn. Shares of BRF SA, the country’s largest chicken producer, dropped 7.9% on Thursday—the steepest decline since November. Marfrig Global Foods SA, which controls BRF, saw its shares fall 9.1%, the most significant drop since late 2022, while JBS SA experienced a 2.5% decrease.
Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro reported that the disease, which affects the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems of birds, may have been introduced following the collapse of a coop roof during a storm. The virus can be transmitted through infected wild bird feces. Despite this, Favaro reassured that the incident appears isolated, with no signs of the disease in the surrounding area or region.
Newcastle disease was last detected in Brazilian backyard poultry in 2006, with no previous reports of the illness affecting commercial flocks, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
