Norway Ban Poultry Imports From US - US - Norway has suspended imports of birds, eggs and poultry products from the United States after a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu was found at a Texas farm.

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority says it immediately stopped imports after the European Union imposed a similar ban imposed Tuesday. Norway is not an EU member, but routinely follows many of the group's directives.

US officials have said the bird flu strain found near San Antonio was dangerous to poultry but not identical with the strain that has killed at least 22 people in Asia. The value of the imports is unclear, but it's thought to be small. The state agency Statistics Norway's says the 2001 import of eggs and dairy products from the United States was too small to register.

Source: eFeedLink - 27th Febuary 2004