Sri Lanka halts India poultry imports

Sri Lanka has halted poultry imports from India following an outbreak of bird flu, says the government.

Sri Lanka has halted poultry imports from India following an outbreak of bird flu, the government said on Saturday. India confirmed on Thursday that an outbreak of bird flu in poultry in the remote northeast of the country was the H5N1 strain.

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"India has reported bird flu in the country so we have immediately taken precautionary measures of temporary restrictions on birds and poultry and poultry products to Sri Lanka," said Dr SKR Amarasekara, director-general of the government's Animal Production and Health Department.

Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan have also had outbreaks of the H5N1 strain this year, but Sri Lanka has so far reported no infections.