RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned imports of live birds, hatching eggs and chicks from India after a form of bird flu that is highly lethal for poultry was found in the south Asian country, the Saudi agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

In January, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said, citing a report from the Indian agriculture ministry, that India had reported an outbreak of a highly contagious bird flu virus near Bengaluru in the southern state of Karnataka.

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said in a statement that its ban was issued in accordance with the warning released by the Paris-based OIE, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

According to OIE report, India had reported an outbreak of a highly contagious bird flu virus, detected on Dec 26 near Bengaluru in the southern state of Karnataka. The H5N8 virus was among birds in the village of Dasarahalli, killing nine out of 951 birds. The others were culled. No details were given on the type of birds involved.

Earlier in Dec 2017, Jordan has banned imports of frozen poultry from Saudi Arabia following the outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. The United Arab Emirates also suspended imports of live and frozen as well as table eggs and chicks from the kingdom, after the disease was reported in a poultry market in Riyadh.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2018