Accra, March 27, GNA - The Ministry of Trade and Industry has placed a ban on the importation of all live birds, poultry and poultry products, including feathers from Cameroon and Niger with immediate effect as a result of the outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

A statement from the Ministry signed by the Public Relations Officer, Kodua Edjekumhene, said the ban on importation of the same products from Nigeria, Romania and Iran as well as ten Asian countries-- Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam-- is still in force.

To ensure effectively monitoring of the imports of these products from countries not affected by the ban, the Ministry has restricted the entry of these products to only the Tema, Takoradi and Kotoka International Airport.

Consequently, the Ministry warned that under no circumstances should any overland importation of these products be tolerated.

Designated officers at the ports and all entry points have been instructed to confiscate and destroy these products imported from the above mentioned 16 countries.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as Avian Influenza or Bird Flu is highly contagious poultry disease that could be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected live poultry.

It causes widespread fatality of poultry and serious economic damage. "The ban is to protect our national poultry and human health," the statement added.