Spain has ordered the immediate confinement of all poultry nationwide in response to heightened concerns over bird flu, the Agriculture Ministry announced Thursday.

The move broadens restrictions introduced last week, when authorities required poultry in designated high-risk zones to remain indoors to curb the virus’ spread.

Officials said the decision comes amid a surge in bird flu outbreaks across Europe, where 139 cases have been reported since July. Spain has logged 14 of those cases, with roughly half detected in the Castile and Leon region.

“The measure has been taken following an increased risk of the disease entering Spain in the last week,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Under the new directive, all farms, including organic and small-scale operations, must take steps to prevent contact between domestic birds and migratory species that may carry the virus. The order also prohibits keeping ducks and geese alongside other poultry, using untreated surface water, and organizing bird fairs or exhibitions.

China resumes Brazilian chicken imports after bird flu ban lifted

Conversely, Brazil has recently celebrated Beijing’s move to reopen its market to Brazilian poultry, ending months of restrictions triggered by a bird flu incident earlier this year. The suspension, imposed in May by both China and the European Union after Brazil confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sul, had temporarily halted shipments from the world’s top chicken-exporting nation.

Brazil declared itself clear of avian flu in June and immediately began pressing foreign partners to limit or lift embargoes. In the following months, sanitary authorities intensified inspections, and a Chinese technical delegation carried out on-site evaluations of farms, slaughterhouses, and laboratories in September, steps that proved crucial for reopening negotiations. According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), international partners have been gradually returning.

"Gradually, all major importers of chicken meat resumed purchases," the association said on its website. It added that Brussels had recently allowed shipments again and stressed the significance of China’s decision. "Today,  China...reopened its ports to Brazilian products."

The ABPA credited the breakthrough to a sustained diplomatic push, describing it as a "broad and intense diplomatic effort" by Brazil to secure the resumption of exports. The reopening follows months in which Brazil urged Beijing to narrow the embargo to the affected region rather than apply a nationwide ban, a request China initially declined.

The development comes as avian flu continues to surface in various parts of the world, forcing widespread culling, affecting food prices, and raising global biosecurity concerns. Researchers noted that rapid detection in Brazil helped prevent wider spread, while the World Health Organization warns that human infections can cause severe illness with high mortality. Still, the virus remains primarily linked to direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments and is not known to transmit easily between people.

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