China is to ban poultry imports from Britain following the
recent bird flu outbreak in the country, the Ministry of
Agriculture said in a circular on Wednesday.
The circular, jointly issued by the ministry and the General
Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine,
called on quarantine authorities to intensify inspections to
prevent the entry of the virus into China.
According to the circular, poultry and poultry products imported
from Britain from Jan. 13 onwards will be returned or destroyed,
while illegal imports will be destroyed under the supervision of
quarantine authorities.
Poultry and poultry products found to have originated from
Britain will be sealed up once discovered on ships, planes, or
trains.
Earlier this month, Britain reported a bird flu outbreak at a
Suffolk farm, resulting in the loss of 2,600 turkeys. It was the
first time the deadly H5N1 strain had been found on a British
farm.
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2007)