UAE blocks some poultry imports after Croatia avian influenza outbreak

UAE officials have prohibited some imports of birds and poultry from Croatia after a case of avian influenza there.

The UAE has blocked some imports of live birds and untreated poultry products from Croatia after “highly pathogenic” avian influenza was reported there.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Tuesday that last month it had taken measures to prohibit some imports based on notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The ministry prohibited the import of live domestic and wild birds, ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs and their thermally untreated waste from Croatia.

Some poultry product imports from the affected Croatian province, Krapinsko-Zagorska, were also prohibited. These include poultry meat, products that have not been thermally treated and table eggs.

The import of thermally treated poultry products, such as treated meat and processed egg products, as well as thermally treated poultry waste, is still allowed.

The World Organisation for Animal Health had reported the strain of avian influenza found in Croatia, H5N5, on March 17.

The ministry said that when a shipment of food products is received in the UAE, documents accompanying them, such as certificate of origin, health certificate and halal ccertificates, are strictly verified.

Product identification cards are also screened to ensure the products comply with UAE standards.