July 25, 2006

Thailand bans poultry imports after chickens tested positive for bird flu

Thailand has imposed a total ban on poultry imports from all its neighbouring countries in an effort to prevent the outbreak of bird flu, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan said Monday (Jul 24).

Thailand's neighbours include Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma.

The announcement came after dead fowl samples from neighbouring countries sent for testing in Thailand proved positive for bird flu.

Meanwhile, Khunying Sudarat also announced that tests conducted on samples of dead fighting cocks and domestic fowls in the northern Phichit Province also proved positive. The affected province saw outbreaks in 3 locations last year and 14 locations the year before that.

However, lab tests have not determined which strain it is.

Thailand has not had a case of bird flu for 254 days. The EU ban on imports of Thai chicken had been extended recently but Thai officials had been protested the extension. An inspection team from the EU was due in Thailand for a round of inspections when the latest bird flu case occurred.

The Department of Livestock Development culled the remaining 260 chickens at the site and banned the movement of poultry within a 10-kilometre radius.

No human cases of bird flu were reported in the latest outbreak.