Kuwait bans wild bird imports to resist bird flu

Kuwait has temporarily banned the import of wild birds from all countries, plus poultry from Asian states, to guard against bird flu.

The Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries said the all-out ban included "water and land" birds as well as pet and exotic ones, the state-owned Kuwait News Agency stated.

The products of these birds - meats and eggs - will not be allowed into the Gulf country either.

Poultry birds and their products were banned from all Asian countries, except for hatching eggs with certificates they were fumigated three days before shipping.

The bans are temporary and "until further notice," KUNA said.

This small oil-rich state has not announced any cases of the decease that has killed 62 people in Asia since 2003. It has prepared a contingency plan to deal with outbreaks.

The deadly H5N1 strain of the virus that causes the disease is hard for humans to contract and all the deaths have been among poultry farmers directly infected by sick birds, the AP reports.

Photo: Spiegel

V.Y.