Japan Bans South Korean Poultry Imports After Bird Flu Outbreak

韩爆发禽流感后日禁止进口韩家禽

Japan has suspended poultry imports from South Korea after authorities there confirmed an outbreak of bird flu among poultry. Japanese officials said Friday they will also require people arriving from South Korea to disinfect their shoes when entering Japan. Earlier Friday, South Korea's Agriculture Ministry said about 200 chickens at a farm in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, died from a mild strain of the bird flu virus. South Korean officials are also investigating another suspected outbreak at a farm in the city of Iksan, where about six-thousand chickens died this week. Authorities say they are awaiting test results to confirm details.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed more than 150 people worldwide over the past three years -- none in South Korea. Most victims contract the virus from dead or sick birds.

在韩国有关部门证实韩国家禽中爆发了禽流感后，日本暂停了从韩国的家禽进口。日本官员星期五说，他们还将要求从韩国来的人进入日本前将鞋子消毒。星期五早些时候，韩国农业部说，首尔以南70公里处的平泽市一家养鸡场中大约200只鸡死于一种温和的禽流感病毒。韩国官员同时还在对益山另一家养鸡场的疑似禽流感爆发进行调查。那里有6000只鸡这个星期死亡。有关当局说，他们正在等待检验的结果以便确定详情。

过去3年来，H5N1型禽流感病毒造成了世界范围内150多人死亡，不过韩国没有一人因此死亡。大部份死者生前从死亡或患病的家禽那里感染了病毒。