August 29, 2007

Russia bans poultry from Germany, citing bird flu

Russia has imposed a temporary ban on poultry imports from Germany following a bird flu outbreak, the country's agricultural watchdog said Tuesday (Aug 28).

The watchdog said it banned imports of live poultry, poultry meat and other poultry products, which had not passed heat treatment, as well as feed and equipment used on poultry farms.

Germany announced bird flu broke out at a duck farm last week in Bavaria, in southern Germany.

However, Russia would still allow imports of hatching eggs and baby chicks from German incubators, excluding those from Bavaria.

Bird flu is seeing a resurgence in poultry farms in Hungary, Britain and the Czech Republic, and most recently of Germany's Bavaria and Saxonia.