March 3, 2004

Kazakhstan Bans Texan, Canada Poultry Imports On Bird Flu

Kazakhstan banned poultry imports from Canada and the U.S. state of Texas due to the outbreak of bird flu there, officials said.

The Agriculture Ministry said the temporary ban was imposed following a report on avian flu outbreaks in the U.S. in Canada by the International Epizootic Bureau.

Kazakhstan imports limited amounts of U.S. and Canadian poultry and the ban is not expected to have an impact on the domestic market.

Last week, the European Union, South Korea, Mexico and other countries temporarily halted poultry imports from the U.S.

U.S. officials have said the bird flu outbreak near San Antonio, in south-central Texas, was not the same strain of the bird flu virus that has killed at least 22 people in Asia.

Canadian officials also said the avian flu found at a farm in the province of British Columbia was different from the deadly H5N1 strain that hit several Asian countries.