DUBAI, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Food and Drug Authority said it had imposed a temporary ban on importing poultry and eggs from seven regions in France, after the emergence of bird flu hot spots.
Several cases of H5N1 bird flu have been detected in France since November, the first known ones in the country in eight years.
The authority said in a statement on Sunday and carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Monday the regions included Dordogne, Landes, Haute-Vienne, Gers, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrenees and Lot.
It said the ban did not apply to any eggs and poultry that were "treated with heat or any other way that would eradicate bird flu".
The authority said it had lifted its ban of importing poultry and eggs from Ukraine and on importing beef and beef products from Belgium.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia's agriculture ministry imposed a temporary ban on incubating eggs and chicks from the Landes and Dordogne regions of France due to the presence of bird flu.
(Writing by Yara Bayoumy, editing by David Evans) ((yara.bayoumy@thomsonreuters.com; tel: +9714 391 8301; Reuters Messaging: yara.bayoumy.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: HEALTH BIRDFLU/SAUDI FRANCE
