U.S. bans bird imports from eight Asian countries
The U.S. government has banned imports of poultry and pet birds from eight Asian countries to prevent the spread of a bird flu that has been linked to 16 deaths since the beginning of the year.
The ban, which was jointly announced by the departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, will affect about 20,000 birds arriving from the countries currently experiencing avian influenza.
Nations affected by the U.S. ban are Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and China (and Hong Kong).
The U.S. government said processed products derived from birds can avoid the ban with an import permit and certification of proper treatment to render them noninfectious.