Phils. bans Japanese, Czech poultry imports

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 16:01:00 03/25/2009
Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090325-196172/RP-bans-Japanese-Czech-poultry-imports

Filed Under: Consumer Issues, Plant and Animal Diseases, International (Foreign)Trade
MANILA, Philippines—Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap announced on Wednesday a ban on imports of birds and poultry products from Japan and the Czech Republic following official reports from the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) or Animal Health Organization confirming outbreaks of the dreaded bird flu in these countries.

The ban covers "domestic and wild birds, and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen."

A similar ban on such imports from the US state of Idaho was lifted. But Yap said that based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry, the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Idaho was "negligible."

He said the OIE also validated a US report saying that bird flu has been eradicated in the area.

The state of Idaho earlier reported that the cleaning and disinfecting of the affected premises in Payette County were completed in October 29, 2008, and that ongoing surveillance had yet to detect any additional avian influenza cases.

Last month, the DOH temporarily banned the importation of cattle from China and the entry of birds and poultry from Belgium and the Canadian province of British Columbia following animal disease outbreaks in these areas.

This, after the OIE confirmed outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the Chinese provinces of Hubei and Xinjiang.