Animal infectious disease outbreaks as Avian Influenza, Foot and mouth disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy can influence trade and bring economic consequences to affected countries. For this reason, this work aims to analyze the effects on meat import demand in the years of 1997 and 2003 to 2005, the Avian Influenza outbreaks period. The analytical framework used was panel data econometrics. The results point to a reduction on chicken meat demand in 1997 and increase to the other meats, indicating a possible substitution. From 2003 on, chicken meat demand showed slight increase, as did pig meat, only bovine meat demand showed a reduction. This fact can be explained by a restriction on bovine and chicken supply caused by the imposition of sanitary barriers to the main exporting countries.