Malaysian poultry suspended

BANGKOK, Aug 22 (TNA) - The Department of Livestock Department is about to issue an order to suspend the import of Malaysian poultry due to an avian influenza outbreak there. Sorawit Thaneeto, director-general of the department, said the movement responded to a report from the World Organisation for Animal Health that the dangerous strain H5N1 of the avian influenza was spreading at poultry farms in Tuaran district of the Sabah State of Malaysia. The department plans to ban the import of birds, chickens, ducks, geese, poultry semen and eggs for breeding and poultry carcasses from Malaysia. It proposed the ban to the cabinet secretariat so that the cabinet would approve it and it would be announced in the Royal Gazette for imposition as soon as possible. (TNA)