Iraq has banned imports of frozen and live poultry products from 24 countries following an outbreak of avian flu in France.
Imports from France were stopped last month, and hte ban has now been extended to Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Ivo¬ry Coast, Kazakhstan, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Mexico, Nepal, Niger, North Korea, Palestine, South Africa, South Korea and Vietnam.
H5N1 bird flu first broke in 1997 and resurfaced in 2003 and 2004, affecting several humans in Asia.
The Iraq government was quoted by Reuters as saying: "The import of poultry and birds of all kinds ... as well as both types of eggs (table and hatching), feathers and all products that use poultry or their products ... is prohibited."
Last month, France reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu, the number of which doubled in a week's time. Due to increase in outbreaks, the countyr stepped up sanitation and imposed restrictions on the movement of poultry from the southwest region.
Movement of poultry was restricted from affected administrative departments - Dordogne, Gers, Haute-Vienne, Landes and Pyrenees-Atlantiques - in addition to other departments such as Gironde, Hautes-Pyrenees and Lot-et-Garonne, and Lot and Charente.
France has reported cases of highly pathogenic strains - H5N1, H5N2 and H5N9 since late November last year.
