US removes import ban on birds from Hong Kong

ATLANTA - The United States has lifted an import ban on birds and bird products from Hong Kong because of the Chinese city's successful efforts to prevent the spread of bird flu in its domestic and wild bird populations.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which announced the lifting of the ban late on Wednesday, said Hong Kong authorities had found only one bird infected with avian influenza A (H5N1) since mid-January.

In the past six weeks Hong Kong has banned the import of live birds from nations affected by an outbreak of bird flu, which has killed at least 22 people in Thailand and Vietnam and led to the slaughter of tens of millions of birds in Asia.

Hong Kong also has implemented a vaccination and inspection programme for poultry farms, live bird markets and pet bird dealers and taken other measures to stop the virus from spreading to humans.

The US Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, and the US Department of Agriculture instituted their import ban on February 4 to protect Americans and the poultry industry from the epidemic.

The ban remains in effect for birds and bird products coming from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, China, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, the CDC said. Bird products that are rendered non-infectious through processing and pet or performing birds of US origin are exempt.

- REUTERS