The recent announcement that China has reopened its market to chicken meat from Rio Grande do Sul reflects intensive work conducted by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (Seapi), through the State Poultry Health Program. In 2025, the department carried out 1,846 biosecurity inspections on poultry farms in the state, in addition to containing outbreaks of avian influenza (H5N1) identified in Montenegro and Sapucaia do Sul.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the first cases of avian influenza were recorded in South America in 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture has intensified all actions aimed at preventing and detecting the disease early, investing in preparedness to deal with it in case of outbreaks,\u201d highlights Ananda Kowalski, coordinator of the State Poultry Health Program.<\/p>\n
In 2025, 138 suspected cases of Respiratory and Nervous Syndrome in birds were attended to, of which 51 had samples collected, as they were classified as probable cases. Three outbreaks of avian influenza were detected in 2025: on a poultry breeding farm in Montenegro, at the Sapucaia do Sul Zoo, and in a wild bird in Montenegro.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prompt response to the Montenegro outbreak, the first case of avian influenza in a poultry farm in Brazil, along with the rapid restoration of the country's sanitary status, reflects all the preparation done by the Secretariat. This was highlighted by the international missions that audited Rio Grande do Sul,\u201d points out the coordinator.<\/p>\n
Throughout the year, samples were also collected for active surveillance of avian influenza and Newcastle disease, both on poultry farms and in backyard poultry farms. A total of 5,655 samples were collected from commercial poultry and 513 samples from backyard poultry, analyzed by the Federal Agricultural Defense Laboratories in Rio Grande do Sul and Campinas, S\u00e3o Paulo. No avian influenza or Newcastle disease was detected.<\/p>\n
\u201cActive surveillance is one of the components of the Ministry of Agriculture's Surveillance Plan for avian influenza and Newcastle disease, and is conducted in cycles annually by the agricultural health enforcement agencies, such as Seapi,\u201d explains Ananda.<\/p>\n
For this year, biosecurity and surveillance inspection actions remain a priority. The new cycle of active surveillance in industrial poultry farming and in backyard poultry farming, which has been underway since November 2025, is scheduled to conclude in June 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n