February 11, 2004

Kuwait Bans Imports Of Live Birds From Asia Over Bird Flu Concerns

Kuwait banned the import of live birds from southeast Asia on Tuesday, two weeks after it stopped imports of poultry meat and eggs from countries infected with bird flu.

The ban was imposed by the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries after it received information that bird flu has spread to most countries in southeast Asia, the official Kuwait News Agency reported. The "temporary ban" includes chicks and eggs used for breeding, the agency said.

At least 19 people have died from the disease in Thailand and Vietnam in recent weeks.

Ten Asian governments - Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam - are battling the disease. Officials in the U.S. confirmed an outbreak of a milder form in the state of Delaware last week.