South African Poultry Association has banned the import of poultry products from countries infected with the avian influenza (AI) virus.
South African Poultry Association's (SAPA) Poultry Disease Management Agency director Dr Charlotte Nkuna said that as AI virus survives for a long time in frozen material, the flood of imported frozen poultry products potentially increased the risk to the national flock, Kempton Express reported.
European countries including UK, Germany, Netherlands and Canada have witnessed an avian influenza virus outbreak in recent days.
As a result, both EU countries and non-EU countries have put restrictions on the import of chicken, egg and other poultry products from these countries, especially from Canada.
Nkuna was quoted by Kempton Express as saying: "Importers, as well as the poultry industry, must immediately stop importing live poultry, poultry meat and processed poultry products from affected countries, as well as those that transit through those areas to South Africa."
Meanwhile, the US Senators Johnny Isakso and Chris Coons have cautioned South Africa that the country will lose its favoured trade status with the US if it continues to refuse lift a ban on US poultry products, Access North Ga reported.
