From rxpgnews.com
Sri Lanka bans Indian poultry imports
By IANS,
Feb 22, 2006 - 3:35:37 PM
Sri Lanka banned the import of poultry products and bird food from India following reports of an avian flu virus threat in the country, the Daily News newspaper said Tuesday.
A Health and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said Sri Lankans are "unnecessarily frightened" after reports about the virus in India. All measures have been taken to prevent the entry of the virus into the country.
Laboratory officers were being trained in Hong Kong in the use of new surveillance technology. They would return to Sri Lanka by the end of February and train officers of all hospitals to combat the virus, he added.
The virus threat to the country has increased slightly in the north and east where awareness and combat programmes are comparatively weak, Animal Production and Health Director General S.K.R. Amarasekara said.
Amarasekara said the public and poultry owners should be alert of birds dying due to unusual or mysterious causes and immediately report to a veterinary office.
He said people entering the country through the Bandaranaike International Airport who had visited poultry farms of affected countries within seven days, were requested to report to the airport's Animal Quarantine Desk.
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