In a significant move to safeguard its food supply chain, Saudi Arabia has implemented a sweeping temporary prohibition on poultry and egg imports originating from 40 nations. This decisive action, announced by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), directly responds to the escalating global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), specifically the H5N1 strain.
The extensive list of affected countries includes major trading partners such as India, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. The SFDA’s updated advisory clarifies that the embargo does not apply to heat-treated poultry products or those processed using methods scientifically proven to eliminate the Avian Influenza and Newcastle viruses, provided they are accompanied by an official health certificate from the exporting country’s competent authorities and originate from approved establishments.
Furthermore, the regulatory measures extend beyond nationwide bans. Authorities have instituted targeted regional restrictions affecting specific provinces and states within 16 additional countries. Notably, this includes the U.S. states of Delaware, Kentucky, and Minnesota, as well as regions in Canada, Australia, Italy, France, and Malaysia, indicating a highly granular approach to risk management based on localized outbreak data.
The current HPAI outbreak, traceable to 2021, has presented unprecedented challenges by crossing species barriers. It now affects over 50 different mammal species, including recent detections in dairy cattle, complicating traditional containment paradigms. While public health agencies acknowledge sporadic human infections, they maintain that the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission remains low, though vigilant monitoring for viral adaptation continues.