The Russian agricultural safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has issued a temporary ban on the import of live poultry and other poultry products from Australia due to an ongoing avian influenza outbreak in the state of Victoria
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2020) The Russian agricultural safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has issued a temporary ban on the import of live poultry and other poultry products from Australia due to an ongoing avian influenza outbreak in the state of Victoria.
The ban entered into effect on Wednesday and was put into force "in connection with the worsening epizootic situation in Australia due to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza," the watchdog said.
The Russian authorities had previously issued a ban on food imports, with the exception of goods used in the production of baby food, from Australia in August 2014. According to the Federal Customs Service, no live poultry, eggs, or poultry meat from Australia was brought into Russia between 2017 and 2020.
The latest ban also affects finished products containing poultry, processed products, feed and additives for poultry, and equipment that has been used for keeping, slaughtering, and cutting poultry. The ban also prevents the transit of live birds from Australia through the territory of Russia.
The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness confirmed the outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7N7 avian flu at a farm in the state of Victoria on July 31. More cases were later identified at a free-range egg farm in the same area, forcing officials to introduce emergency controls.
Cases of the low pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza have also been identified on two turkey farms in the same state, according to the Australian authorities.
There is thought to be little risk of the disease spreading to humans, providing that there is no direct contact with infected birds.
