The European Union (EU) said on Tuesday that it decided to suspend import of live ostriches and their eggs, meat and products from South Africa until Jan. 1, 2005.

The European Commission, EU's executive arm, took the decision after the confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in two ostriches farms in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa on Aug. 6.

South Africa has immediately suspended all exports of live poultry, pigeons, ostriches and other birds and meat and eggs fromthose species and informed EU about the disease situation and the measures taken to bring the disease under control.

The 25-nation EU only imports small quantities of ostrich meat from South Africa.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious poultry disease that cancause severe economic damage to the poultry industry and can, in exceptional cases, be transmitted to humans.

The detected bird flu virus H5N2 in South Africa ostriches farms is different from the virus detected in Asia and likely poses less public health risk than the Asian one (H5N1).

Source: Xinhua