Sunday, November 26, 2006
Japan Suspends S. Korean Chicken Imports on Bird-Flu Concerns
Nov. 24 (Bloomberg)—Japan will temporarily suspend poultry imports from South Korea on concerns over bird flu, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
South Korea yesterday said health inspectors are testing poultry for bird flu on a farm where 6,000 birds died this week. The country reported an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in December 2003, prompting the slaughter of about 5.3 million chickens and ducks valued at 150 billion won ($161 million).
``We’re waiting to hear more details from the South Koreans,’’ Shiozaki said at a regular press conference today in Tokyo. People coming to Japan from South Korea will have their shoes disinfected as a precaution, he said.