May 1, 2006

Japan and Hong Kong suspend British poultry imports

Japan has suspended poultry imports from Britain to prevent the spread of bird flu to domestic fowl, Japan's Agriculture Ministry said on Saturday (Apr 29).

The announcement followed reports of an outbreak of a less-virulent strain of the bird flu virus, the H7N3, at a poultry farm in England.

The imports of poultry products and poultry meat from Britain was temporarily suspended to ensure food safety in the nation, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.

A farm worker in Norfolk contracted an eye infection caused by the virus, but Britain's Health Protection Agency said H7N3 did not transmit easily from poultry to people and has minimal chances of spreading.

In 2004, Japan had four outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry between January and March.

On the same day, authorities in Hong Kong said they would stop processing applications for poultry meat and product imports from Norfolk of Britain.