Bulgaria has suspended imports of live birds and nearly all poultry products from Israel following confirmation of an outbreak of fatal avian flu among poultry in the Middle East country, the Bulgarian state-run BTA news agency reported on Monday.

Under a decree issued by the Bulgarian Agriculture and Forest Ministry, the country has banned the imports of all live birds, eggs and poultry meat from Israel, except poultry-related products that are thermic-treated and are guaranteed to be virus-free.

The decree will be implemented by the National Veterinary Service.

On Feb. 11, a European Union laboratory confirmed the first H5N1 case in a dead swan found in the northwest town of Vidin. To date, five swans in Bulgaria have been confirmed as carrying the H5N1 strain of the virus.

Like some other EU countries, Bulgaria has already ceased the importing and transit of live poultry, as well as plumage and feathers without heat treatment from Romania, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Source: Xinhua