The Government has, with immediate effect, banned the importation of poultry and poultry products from Thailand and nine other Asian countries following the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in those countries.

A statement from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives (PSIs), issued in Accra, on Thursday, named the other countries as Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Ministry urged the public to report to anybody caught selling the banned products to the nearest police station to help protect the national poultry industry and human health.

"The Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza or Bird Flu is a highly contagious poultry disease that can be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected live poultry, it explained. "It causes widespread fatality of poultry and serious economic damage."

Mr Kodua Edjekumhene, Public Relations Officer, signed the statement on behalf of the Minister.