Urgent: China bans poultry imports from Thailand

BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- China is banning chicken and other poultry products from Thailand.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) and the Ministry of Agriculture issued a joint announcement Thursday. It said that China will return or destroy all poultry and related products imported from Thailand after Oct. 27 of this year.

A case involving the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 occurred on a poultry farm in Thailand on Oct. 27. It was confirmed by the country's government and reported to the World Organization for Animal Health on Nov. 10.

Poultry products sent through the mail or carried by travelers are also prohibited in China. They will be returned or destroyed once spotted, according to the announcement.

China is now also requiring poultry or related products from Thailand to be sealed on ships, airplanes, trains or other vehicles while passing through or staying in China.