Ban on poultry imports from five European nations, 3 Indian states

PHOTO

December 08, 2016

Muscat - Oman has imposed a ban on the import of poultry and poultry products from five European nations and three Indian states.

This follows reports of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus outbreak in many European countries and a few Indian states.

H E Dr Fuad bin Jaafar bin Mohammed al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, issued a decision on the import ban, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in a statement.

The decision bans the import of live birds and their products and derivatives from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Karnataka in India. The restriction will continue till the time it is clear that the flu is contained.

The decision is based on the law for veterinary quarantine issued in Royal Decree 45/2004, and the executive regulations for the law of veterinary quarantine issued in the Ministerial Decision 107/2008.

Avian Influenza (AI) or Bird Flu is a highly contagious viral infection which can affect all species of birds and can manifest itself in different ways depending mainly on the ability of the virus to cause disease (pathogenicity) and on the species affected.

On October 28, Hungary reported the detection of HPAI H5N8 virus in one wild bird (mute swan) that had been found dead at Lake Fehér-to in Csongrád County.

Since then, the HPAI H5N8 virus was detected in wild birds in Poland, Croatia, Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Romania, France and Switzerland, reported the European Commission.

On November 4, Hungary reported the first outbreak of HPAI H5N8 in poultry (turkeys) in Tótkomlós locality, Békés County, followed by further outbreaks in duck and geese farms.

HPAI H5N8 outbreaks in poultry were then reported from Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and Poland. In Germany, the Netherlands, France and Finland also other captive birds (e g zoos or decoy birds) became infected by the HPAI H5N8 virus.

In all the affected Member States, the virus was previously detected in wild birds. The veterinary authorities of affected Member States immediately took EU control measures to possibly prevent virus spread to other holdings and established protection and surveillance zones around the infected holdings, said the Commission.

The ban on Indian states comes after the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) confirmed the spread of HPAI H5N8 virus in Hissar in Haryana, Patiala in Punjab and Bellary in Karnataka.