<strong>Bangladesh Government Bans Import of All Types of Birds</strong><p>　　Bangladesh has banned the import of all species of live birds as a precaution against avian flu.</p><p>　　"We've banned import of all types of birds from anywhere in the world as safeguard measures against possible outbreak of avian influenza in the country," Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah Al Noman told AFP.</p><p>　　"We don't want to put our poultry industry at great risk," he added Saturday.</p><p>　　There have so far been no reported outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in Bangladesh but farmers have called on the government to take measures to protect the nation's poultry industry from the spread of the disease.</p><p>　　The government last week announced a national taskforce to monitor any suspected bird flu outbreaks and banned imports of poultry products from Kazakhstan, the 17th country to be put on banned list.</p><p>　　The taskforce would monitor the situation in Bangladesh following the emergence of bird flu in several more countries.</p><p>　　The government also asked the forest department to strictly monitor lakes and swamps, home to thousands of migratory birds during the winter.</p><p>　　Birds from as far as Siberia migrate to Bangladesh during winter but though hunting of migratory birds is illegal, they are often poached and sold in markets.</p><p>　　With an annual turnover of 750 million dollars, poultry farming is one of Bangladesh's fastest-growing industries and employs more than two million workers.</p><p>　　The ban comes amid growing fears of a pandemic after the disease was discovered in Europe.</p><p>　　The World Health Organization has said it is greatly concerned that bird flu outbreaks that have appeared throughout Asia could eventually jump the species barriers and lead to human-to-human infections.</p><p>　　Officials in Bangladesh have also expressed concern at the country's lack of medicines for any possible outbreak.</p><p>　　随着禽流感疫区逐渐扩大，各国纷纷采取措施，防控禽流感。为预防禽流感疫情在孟加拉出现，孟加拉政府已禁止该国从世界其它国家进口所有种类的活鸟。</p><p>　　据报道，孟加拉渔业与畜牧业部长，阿卜杜拉·阿尔·诺曼日前对记者表示：“我们已经禁止从其它国进口所有种类的鸟类，作为孟加拉预防禽流感爆发的一项安全措施。”他还说，“我们不想让我国的家禽养殖业处于很大的危险之中”。</p><p>　　上周，孟加拉政府宣布由一个国家工作组来对任何疑似的禽流感疫情进行监控，并且禁止从哈萨克斯坦进口家禽产品。孟加拉政府同时还让该国林业部门严格监控湖泊和沼泽地区，这些地区是迁徙鸟类在孟加拉过冬的场所。</p><p>　　目前，在孟加拉国境内还没有出现H5N1高致病性禽流感的疫情报道。但家禽养殖者已经呼吁政府采取措施，以保护该国家禽养殖业免受禽流感的袭击。</p><p>　　报道说，家禽养殖业是孟加拉发展速度最快的产业之一，年营业额可达7.5亿美元，从业人员也多达200余万。</p><div align="right"></div><br/>