Haiti bans importation of poultry from Dominican Republic amid Avian Flu scare

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Haiti has imposed a ban on the importation and sale of meat products as well as poultry, eggs and live animals from the Dominican Republic following reports of a resurgence of the Avian Flu (HINI virus) in that country. A statement from the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) said that “consumers and users of the Haitian-Dominican border , as well as importers and retailers that import and sale of meat products, particularly poultry, eggs and live animals potentially infected or carriers of bird flu, from the Dominican Republic are prohibited until further order”. The authorities said that the ban takes effect immediately and that in the meantime, the relevant government ministries are collecting “detailed information about the impact of this new outbreak of bird flu, in order to assess the appropriateness of adopting other measures.