Prime Minster Hun Sen issued an order Thursday urging local authorities to prevent the importation of poultry products as a means of preventing infections of avian influenza.
Without mentioning the recent death of a Cambodian woman from bird flu, nor the chickens tested positive for the virus here, he cautioned that poultry from neighboring countries could be contaminated.
“[T]he imported products has been cheaper and affordable to the people so they consume more than the local. The influx of these cheaply priced products also affects the poultry production in Cambodia. And it can lead to the spread of the bird flu disease from our neighboring countries,” the order said.
Khlauk Chuon, the deputy director of Camcontrol, said he had not received the order but saw announcements on television. He would not comment on why Hun Sen reissued the order banning poultry imports.
“Before the outbreak of bird flu in Cambodia, [Commerce Minister] Cham Prasidh already banned the import of poultry from Vietnam and Thailand,” he said.
Kampot province Governor Puth Chandarith said Kampot had banned the trade of poultry across borders since Jan 23.
