Brazil Finds Second Poultry Disease Outbreak

BRAZIL · POULTRY TRADE

Brazil, the world’s biggest chicken exporter, has found Newcastle disease on a second farm in Santa Catarina. The first case was confirmed a week earlier.

The Brazil Newcastle disease outbreak has spread to a second poultry farm, in Coronel Freitas, in the southern state of Santa Catarina. Brazil’s agriculture ministry announced it late on Sunday, 25 October, a week after the first case.

Brazil supplies about 36% of the world’s chicken exports, USDA forecasts, so animal disease in Brazil matters to buyers and rivals alike. The United States, the second-largest exporter, is a competitor rather than a customer.

What Brazil Confirmed on 25 October

The ministry published its official note at 11:01 p.m. Brasília time on Sunday, 25 October. It said intensified surveillance in the emergency area had found a new outbreak at a poultry farm in Coronel Freitas.

Santa Catarina’s farm-health agency, Cidasc, had reported the same case a day earlier. It said genetic sequencing confirmed a second outbreak in a commercial turkey unit between 23 and 24 October.

More than 70% of the new case’s surveillance zone overlaps the zone around the first farm, Cidasc said. The ministry therefore adjusted the restriction area only slightly.

Culling of the birds on the new farm has begun, according to the ministry. The note gives no bird count and does not mention exports.

Birds in the unit next to the new outbreak tested free of the disease, Cidasc said. Officials released them for regular commercial slaughter.

How the First Outbreak Unfolded

The ministry confirmed the first outbreak on Sunday, 18 October, at a commercial turkey farm in Nova Itaberaba. Minister André de Paula briefed the press on Monday, 19 October, and a 60-day animal-health emergency followed.

Ordinance 962/2026 covers four municipalities: Nova Itaberaba, Águas Frias, Coronel Freitas and Nova Erechim. The ministry said it notified the World Organisation for Animal Health and shared technical details with trading partners.

Teams finished burying 6,526 turkeys and related material by Wednesday, 21 October, CNN Brasil reported. Cidasc said on 23 October that 28 teams had inspected 352 rural properties, 256 of them subsistence holdings and 96 commercial.

By 24 October, Cidasc counted more than 160 commercial properties and 317 subsistence ones surveyed, with 78 sample collections. Four checkpoints disinfect vehicles around the clock.

Cidasc also said the virus was found in free-living pigeons in Marema, outside the emergency area. It said the Coronel Freitas case also originated from virus carried by pigeons.

The ministry’s note says a pigeon strain called PPMV-1, found outside the zone, has no epidemiological link to the commercial outbreaks. Under World Organisation for Animal Health rules, it does not count as a Newcastle outbreak.

Which Countries Have Restricted Brazilian Poultry

The ministry’s latest published list, dated Wednesday, 21 October, names five countries with temporary restrictions. Mexico and Malaysia suspended imports from all of Brazil.

Saudi Arabia, China and Chile limited their suspensions to Santa Catarina, the ministry said. The list does not mention the European Union or the United States.

China suspended 14 Santa Catarina plants of the 61 Brazilian plants it approves, according to coverage of the Itaú BBA report. Earlier Rio Times coverage reported that China limited its poultry ban to 14 plants.

The ministry says eating poultry that passed official inspection “remains safe, with no contraindications.” It adds that other markets remain under monitoring.

The 25 October note does not say whether any restriction changed after the second case. The list may therefore be out of date.

Why Santa Catarina Matters for Exports

Santa Catarina produced about 1.9 million tonnes of chicken in 2025, or 13.4% of Brazil’s output, Itaú BBA said. It exported 1.2 million tonnes worth US$2.45 billion.

The state accounts for 22.5% of Brazil’s chicken export volume and 25% of export revenue, the bank said. About 63% of its production goes abroad.

Itaú BBA called the overall impact limited, provided no new outbreaks occur and restrictions are gradually eased. Its note was published on 22 October, before the second case.

The bank warned that a long embargo could leave Santa Catarina with surplus stock and discounting in early 2027. It said the length of any embargo may matter as much as disease control.

China took about 10% of Brazil’s chicken exports in the first nine months of 2026, the bank said. Saudi Arabia was third, with roughly 8%.

What It Means for US Readers

USDA’s 9 October outlook puts Brazil’s 2026 chicken exports at 5.45 million tonnes, or 36% of the world total. The United States is forecast at 3.06 million tonnes, or 20%.

USDA forecasts US chicken imports at only 64,000 tonnes in 2026, against US output of 22.6 million tonnes. American shoppers are therefore not directly exposed to Brazilian supply.

USDA says US export share keeps eroding as Brazil and China gain ground. Lasting limits on Brazilian shipments could matter to US exporters, though the reports reviewed do not quantify any shift.

Mexico is the world’s fourth-largest importer, at a forecast 1.0 million tonnes in 2026. It has halted all Brazilian poultry, but the sources do not show whether orders shift to US suppliers.

For consumers, the ministry says the disease poses no risk to people who eat inspected poultry. Earlier reports cover Uruguay’s suspension of Brazilian poultry and the European Union plans to let Brazilian chicken return.

What Is Not Known

The ministry’s note does not say how many birds are on the new farm. It calls the site a poultry establishment, while Cidasc describes a commercial turkey unit.

Cidasc blames virus carried by pigeons, but the ministry says its pigeon strain has no link to the commercial cases. The sources do not reconcile the two.

The note points readers to a public ministry dashboard for updated figures, which was not reviewed here. Total outbreak counts and any new trade restrictions after 21 October are therefore unconfirmed.

Itaú BBA has not commented on the second case in the sources reviewed. Whether a second farm in the same zone is the “new outbreak” it warned about is a judgement.

What Comes Next

The 60-day emergency under Ordinance 962/2026 continues, with surveillance running around both farms. The ministry says it will release updates as export restrictions are confirmed.

The sources do not say when any buyer might lift its limits. A second farm does not by itself mean that more countries will impose bans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Newcastle disease?

It is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild birds. It spreads between birds and does not harm people who eat inspected poultry, the ministry says.

Is Brazilian chicken safe to eat?

The agriculture ministry says eating poultry that passes official inspection is safe, with no contraindications. Minister André de Paula said on 19 October that the meat poses no risk to people.

Where is the second outbreak?

It is in Coronel Freitas, Santa Catarina, inside the emergency zone set after the first case. The zone also covers Nova Itaberaba, Águas Frias and Nova Erechim.

Does this affect US chicken prices?

The sources reviewed show no direct effect. The United States imports very little chicken, USDA forecasts, so the main channel would be competition for export buyers.

Which countries restrict Brazilian poultry?

As of 21 October, Mexico and Malaysia suspended imports from all of Brazil. Saudi Arabia, China and Chile limited suspensions to Santa Catarina.

Sources: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, official note, 25 October; Cidasc, Santa Catarina, 24 October; Ministry, export restrictions, 21 October; Ministry, response update, 22 October; Ministry, minister’s briefing, 19 October; CNN Brasil, 25 October; CNN Brasil on Itaú BBA, 22 October; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade, 9 October (all accessed 26 October 2026).