KABUL (January 30 2004): Afghanistan has banned the import of chickens from Pakistan, where millions of the birds are said to be infected with avian flu.

Because of an acute lack of resources, war-torn Afghanistan could not say whether the virus had crossed into the country, but it was hoped the ban on Pakistani chickens would avert an outbreak, a public health ministry official said on Thursday.

"We had to take urgent measures to stop the possible spread of the disease and the best way was to put an end for the time being on the imports of chickens from Pakistan," ministry official Abdullah Fahim told Reuters.

Bird flu has erupted in 10 Asian countries from Japan to Pakistan, devastated poultry industries and killed at least eight people, two in Thailand and six in Vietnam.

Pakistan has ordered the destruction of affected chickens after an outbreak in the country that industry officials said had killed as many as two million egg-laying birds and infected at least another 1.5 million.

Afghan traders, who usually import tens of thousands of chickens from Pakistan every day, said they would abide by the ban.

"We, as a whole, have agreed to stop this business until we are sure and the government is sure that the disease is controlled or over," said trader Haji Gul Pasha.

The World Health Organisation said in a statement, a surveillance system in place in Afghanistan for other diseases would be used to check for any cases of bird flu.

Courtesy Business Recorder