Bird flu in India prompts Bangladesh to halt chick import

Bangladesh has halted import of chicks from all countries after India reported an outbreak of bird flu.

“We are being cautious to prevent the spread of the disease in our country after India reported the presence of bird flu. We are not importing any animal, chicken, duck, egg or chicks from India,” Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said on Wednesday.

There has been no report of bird flu infection in Bangladesh, he said.

The country has enough vaccine in reserve to immunise the fowls against bird flu, according to Rezaul Karim.

His ministry in a letter on Tuesday told the Department of Livestock Services to take precautions, including prevention of import of chicks through the borders, after at least eight Indian states reported bird flu.

The poultry farmers of Bangladesh mainly import chicks from Europe, but they have stopped bringing chicks from any country temporarily after the outbreak in India, said Debashish Nag, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Central Council.