UAE bans import of birds, poultry from four countries due to bird flu concerns

UAE bans import of birds, poultry from four countries due to bird flu concerns

The UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has banned the import of birds and their byproducts from four countries on bird flu concerns.

Three resolutions ban the import of all species of domestic and wild live birds, ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs and their thermally untreated byproducts from the Netherlands, Germany, and select areas of Russia.

Meanwhile, the ministry has also banned the import of poultry meat and table eggs from several regions in the UK.

The decision was taken since the regions recorded an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza during November 2020 as per notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), a statement said.

The import ban on poultry from the Netherlands and Germany as well as Herefordshire county and Cheshire West and Chester area in the UK followed an outbreak of a highly contagious strain of bird flu that has been circulating around Europe.

To control the spread of the disease, the affected countries culled thousands of chickens.

The ministry said it has prohibited the import of all birds and their thermally untreated byproducts from the Netherlands until the country is declared disease-free.

All imports of poultry meat, eggs and their thermally untreated