September 17, 2010

Jordan halts Israeli poultry imports amid Newcastle disease

The Jordan government has recently suspended the import of poultry from Israel in light of an outbreak of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) in the country, a senior official said on Wednesday (Sep 15).

According to Minister of Agriculture Mazen Khasawneh, the move came in response to reports released by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in August, claiming that chickens tested positive for NDV at an Israeli commune.

Under the decision, companies are barred from importing poultry from Israel.

The minister explained that as an OIE member, Jordan is informed of any animal diseases occurring across the world to take necessary precautions. "The government stops importing meat from countries reported by the OIE to have animal diseases for a minimum three-month period," he said.

Newcastle disease is a fatal contagious disease affecting domestic and wild avian species. Its effects are most severe among domestic poultry due to their high susceptibility and the impact of a potential epidemic on poultry industries, according to web sources.