S. Korea suspends imports of Brazilian poultry after bird flu outbreak at chicken farm

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the measure follows Brazil's official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health confirming an HPAI outbreak at a breeder farm in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul on Friday (local time), Yonhap news agency reported.

Imports of Brazilian poultry products, including hatching eggs and day-old chicks, have been suspended, effective for shipments departing on or after May 15, the ministry said.

Shipments that departed within 14 days before the ban will undergo HPAI testing upon arrival.

It marked the first time HPAI has been detected at a commercial poultry farm in Brazil, although it was first reported in wild birds in May 2023.

Brazil is the world's largest chicken exporter.

There are currently 37 shipments, totalling 844 tonnes of Brazilian chicken meat, awaiting quarantine clearance at South Korean ports.

Given the timing of shipment and the virus' incubation period, the ministry said there is no immediate concern over contamination and the products will be processed through regular quarantine procedures.

Meanwhile, South Korea saw 46 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the current season. The country reported its first outbreak for the season on October 29.

Some 1.8 per cent of 77.6 million chickens at poultry farms nationwide have been culled since late October due to the bird flu, according to the ministry.

In the recent past, the highly pathogenic bird flu virus has caused mass mortality in chickens and wild birds worldwide. The infections also spread to seals, cats, cattle, and even from cattle to humans -- increasing the threat of a potential next pandemic virus.