Photo: VCG

China’s General Administration of Customs and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued an announcement on Friday that China will prohibit poultry imports and related products from Mozambique, as the Mozambique authorities have reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) that an outbreak of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza has occurred in poultry farms in Mozambique.

Chinese authorities took measures in accordance with law and regulations to safeguard the public health and the country's poultry industry. 

All poultry and related products from Mozambique that are shipped from the date of this announcement onwards shall be returned or destroyed. But for those shipped prior to the date of this announcement, strict quarantine inspections and testing must be conducted, and only those qualified can be released, reads the announcement.

All animals, plant waste and sewage, unloaded from incoming vessels, aircraft from Mozambique must be disposed of under the supervision of customs and must not be abandoned without authorization.

Also, the illegal entry of Mozambique poultry and its products intercepted by border inspection departments shall be destroyed under the supervision of the customs, according to the authorities.

Mozambique has detected the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of the H7 group. Of the more than 54,000 laying hens at a farm in the east of the country, around 15,000 showed signs of illness, according to media reports.


Global Times