EU-wide ban on exotic bird imports

European Union veterinary experts today approved an EU-wide ban on the import of exotic birds to help counter the threat of bird flu.

“Member states today endorsed a draft Commission decision to ban imports from third countries of captive live birds other than poultry for commercial purposes,” a statement from the EU Commission said.

The move was taken after a parrot, imported from Suriname, died in quarantine in Britain over the weekend after contracting the H5N1 flu strain.

It was believed the parrot was infected by other birds in quarantine.

The announcement came just after it was revealed that dead wild geese in western Germany had showed preliminary positive test results for bird flu.

A local health official said they died from poisoning, not the virus.

Further tests would be needed to confirm the virus and to tell whether it was the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, said Stefan Brent, president of the bureau carrying out the testing.