Brazil, the world's largest poultry exporter, has confirmed its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a commercial farm, triggering immediate import bans from major markets including China and the EU.

The virus was detected at a facility in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul state, prompting Brazilian authorities to implement emergency containment measures to prevent its spread, Reuters reported.

Officials across the country are working "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 agriculture ministry said in a statement.

But the infection has set off worldwide bans on Brazilian poultry, starting with the European Union on May 19. "EU import conditions require that the country of export (Brazil) is free of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza," a European Commission spokesperson told Reuters.

"Brazilian authorities can no longer sign such animal health certificates for export into the EU and such certificates cannot be issued."

Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro indicated that under existing protocols, jurisdictions including China, the EU, and South Korea would ban poultry imports from Brazil for 60 days.

Other countries, including Mexico, Chile and Argentina, have also implemented restrictions.

Brazil accounts for 14% of global chicken meat production, according to the US Department of Agriculture. While the EU represents only about 4.4% of Brazil's export market, the South American nation supplies approximately 32% of Europe's poultry imports.

On the affected farm operated by Vibra Foods, a Brazilian company backed by Tyson Foods, the virus killed approximately 15,000 birds, with an additional 2,000 culled. Authorities traced eggs from the farm to locations in Minas Gerais, Parana and Rio Grande do Sul states, with some 1.7mn eggs already destroyed in Rio Grande do Sul alone.

Brazilian authorities have created a task force with officials visiting 524 properties within a 10-kilometre radius of the affected farm.

Teams are establishing seven disinfection barriers nearby, washing passing vehicles with water and disinfectant. A sample from a duck on a non-commercial farm suspected of having bird flu has been collected and sent for testing.

The outbreak comes as Brazil had been benefiting from egg shortages in the US, with Brazilian egg exports to the US rising by more than 1,000% between January and April 2025 compared to the previous year, AP reported.

Brazil's agriculture ministry emphasised that the disease is not transmitted through 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," the ministry stated.