January 30, 2004

Nepal Bans Chicken Imports On Bird Flu Fears

Nepal banned imports of all poultry products in an effort to prevent bird flu from entering Nepal.

Dr. Mahendra Bista of the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control said all customs checkpoints in the Himalayan kingdom have been instructed to halt imports of chicken, eggs and any other poultry goods.

Health officials said they haven't found any evidence of bird flu in Nepal but imposed the ban to prevent the virus from reaching the country. The disease has been sweeping Asia, and officials have reported eight deaths in Vietnam and two in Thailand.

Chicken and other meat products are regularly imported from neighboring India, which is yet to detect any signs of the virus. Nepal also shares a border with China, which has reported cases of bird flu among chickens and ducks, prompting the slaughter of thousands of fowl in a campaign to contain the outbreak there.