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ERBIL,
Kurdistan-Iraq (AFP) - Iraqi Kurdish authorities
have banned local trading in live chickens because
of a lethal form of bird flu that has infected 15
people across the border in Turkey.
Already in October, the Iraqi government banned the
import of live birds and poulty from Turkey.
"We had already taken measures, but following the
recent cases in Turkey we have bolstered them, by
stopping the sale of live chickens," Kurdistan's
regional agricultural chief, Azad Ezzedin, told AFP.
Hunting has also been banned in the region, and all
vehicles crossing from Turkey must have their tires
sprayed with disinfectant, he added.
UN experts warned Wednesday that the flu, which
recently killed at least two people in Turkey, now
threatens nearby countries.
The toll from the highly infectious H5N1 strain of
bird flu has climbed to 78 people worldwide.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said
Wednesday that the virus may be spreading even as
Turkey slaughters 306,000 birds to halt its advance.
It warned neighbouring Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Iraq, Iran and Syria to be on high alert.
Turkey shares a border with Iraqi Kurdistan.
AFP
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