Philippines stops all poultry imports from Korea

Korea is currently facing a combat with the re-emergence of avian flu.
Arthur Yap, Agriculture Secretary said he issued the ban based on a November 2007 report of South Korea about an outbreak of a low pathogenic avian influenza in a duck-raising farm in Yongdoo-dong, Kwangju-Jikhalsi.

A ban on all products
According to Yap, the ban covers all domestic and wild birds and their products, which includes day-old chicks, eggs and semen.

'I have ordered quarantine officers and inspectors at all major ports and seaports to stop and confiscate all shipments of live birds, poultry and poultry products into the country originating from Korea,' said Yap.

Free of bird flu
Yap said the temporary ban is essential to provide protection for human health and poultry in the country, which have remained free of bird flu since the deadly H5N1 strain surfaced in 2003.

The Philippines is one of only three avian influenza-free countries in South-East Asia, with the other two being Brunei and Singapore.

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