Poultry from Turkey, Romania and Iran banned

Accra, Oct. 14 GNA - The Ministry of Trade and Industry on Friday announced a ban on the importation of all live birds, including poultry and poultry products as well as feathers from Turkey, Romania and Iran with immediate effect, as a result of the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in those countries.

A statement issued in Accra and signed for Mr Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry, said the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as Avian Influenza or bird flu, is a highly contagious poultry disease that could be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected live poultry.

It said the disease caused widespread fatality of poultry and serious economic damage, adding that the ban was to protect the nation's poultry industry and human health.

The statement also noted that the ban imposed on the importation of poultry and poultry products from 10 Asian countries, including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam earlier in the year was still in place. The statement requested the general public to report to the nearest police station anybody caught selling poultry and poultry products imported from the above-mentioned countries.