Several countries ban Nebraskan poultry
The import of poultry from Nebraska, US, has been temporarily banned by Japan, Russia, Turkey and the Philippines. This follows the discovery of a turkey flock tested positive for a mild strain of bird flu.
According to deputy state veterinarian Del Wilmot, the flock did not show any signs of illness and was in fact being prepared for slaughter and entry into the food supply.
The USDA, as well as poultry industry trade groups, have emphasised that said no human cases of bird flu have ever been traced to eating properly cooked poultry or eggs. Nevertheless, officials in the four countries are not prepared to take any chances, and have therefore barred all poultry and related products from Nebraska.
“This ban and other emergency measures were necessary to protect human health and the poultry industry in the Philippines,” said Arthur Yap, agriculture secretary for the Southeast Asian country.
As part of international trade agreements, the USDA notifies foreign countries of the presence and absence of bird flu. Once the all-clear notification goes out, the ban will likely be lifted.
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